Never Go Against the Family
by BeccaBo73
Summary: When the favorite son of one of New York's most notorious crime families goes missing, the team finds themselves matching wits with the mob. And, things get even more complicated when Danny finds himself falling for the victim's sister.
1. Eddie

_Well, I am delving into unknown territory here...the mob! I thought it would be an interesting missing persons story, with a twist. But, I don't know much about the mob so I am going to take quite a bit of creative license with this story! Please be patient._

_Again, and as always, I don't own any of the Without a Trace team. _

_But the Caruso family...Angie, Eddie, Uncle Tony, Theresa, and the others...are all my own creation._

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**Never Go Against the Family**

**Chapter 1 - Eddie**

The rain pounded against the glass windows, and lightning cracked as it hit somewhere across Manhattan. Eddie Caruso found himself unable to sleep and was once again sitting in the plush chair in the master suite of his home. It was just another one of many nights during these past few weeks when he had not been able to sleep. It was becoming like clockwork.

The thunder rolled across the sky as he sat with a glass of bourbon in his hand, contemplating the next move his family would make against the enemy who threatened to move in on their territory. That too was becoming like clockwork. There wasn't a moment of peace for their family. There never would be, he guessed. When one is in the mob as deep as he was, it would be considered nearly impossible to leave the business.

He had removed himself from the bed he shared with his wife so that Theresa could sleep without being disturbed by his restlessness. Instinctively, he looked over at where she slept and smiled at the sight of her sleeping so peacefully. Eddie hoped she was dreaming sweet dreams about him and their two children, not about the dangers that surrounded their everyday life.

Her soft, familiar voice penetrated the darkness of their bedroom. "Is there anything I can do?" she asked, her eyes still closed but awake.

"Shhh ...I didn't mean to wake you." He told her gently, swirling the bourbon he was nursing around at the bottom of his glass. "Go back to sleep."

She opened her eyes to see the worry on his face and propped herself up on her elbow, reaching for him with her hand. She caressed his face and he leaned into the touch. He saw the concern for him come across her face as he leaned down and kissed her lips. "Everything's okay ... don't worry."

"But I do worry about you, Eddie. I worry all the time."

"I'm sorry. I guess sometimes I forget how this life affects you." he replied, looking away from her.

"I married you knowing full well what your life entailed. I love you, Eddie. And aside from your job, I love the life we have created together. But, I worry about you every time you are not right here next to me." Theresa grabbed her silk robe and climbed out of bed. She went to him, sat in his lap, and wrapped her arms around him, looking out across the city over his shoulder.

"I love you so much, Theresa." Eddie whispered into her hair as he buried his face in the sweet, softness of it. "I swear I won't let anything happen to you or the kids."

"I know ... I love you too." she replied. As his head lay gently on the soft skin of her chest, he felt her heartbeat against his ear and it was the most soothing sound he had ever heard.

She sat cradled in his arms for awhile as they sat in the darkness of their bedroom, their young son and baby daughter safely asleep in the nearby nursery. It was the most secure she had felt in a long time. She knew he would never let anything happen to her or the children. But sometimes she wished that they could go away and leave everything behind. Eddie had been involved with the violence of the mob for so long. He had grown up in the business, and she knew that no matter how far they could try to go to escape it, it would find them. There was no way out ... not anymore.

Theresa got up off his lap and leaned down to kiss him goodnight. "Come to bed." she said as she reached for his hand. He noticed the look in her eye and conceded. He took her hand and he followed her back to the silk sheets of their bed. She climbed in and he followed willingly . He laid down next to her, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Secure in the arms of her husband, she fell asleep quickly while Eddie lay awake and worried about the threat that was lurking in the darkness of the city.

Eddie had been trained as a thinker as well as fighter, and the work he did as an enforcer for his family was as routine as his daily workout. His uncle, crime boss Anthony Caruso, however, mostly valued his physical skills and tended to discount his intellectual ones.

But Eddie knew that it was his mental skills that truly made him valuable, though. If he were an unthinking drone, like so many in his family's organization, then he wouldn't know when and how to disobey orders … like he was going to do now.


	2. The Caruso Crime Family

**Chapter Two - The Caruso Crime Family**

_FBI Headquarters: Missing Persons Division - 12 Hours Missing_

F.B.I. Special Agents Danny Taylor, Samantha Spade, and Martin Fitzgerald peered through the glass window of Jack Malone's office at the woman sitting there, nervously shifting in her seat. The little boy seated next to her was playing with some toy cars that Vivian had found for him while his mother cooed at the baby girl sleeping in her arms. Though her tone was gentle, her fear was burning in her eyes.

Danny shook his head and said, "They look like any other family."

"They are." Samantha stated, watching the scene with interest. "A family whose father is a major player in the Caruso crime family."

"And missing." Martin stated dryly . "Don't forget missing."

Danny glanced over to where Agent Jack Malone was talking quietly with Agent Vivian Johnson. "Are we really going to take this seriously?" He asked, shaking his head again and letting out a low whistle. "Eddie Caruso. Why would his wife bother to report him missing? She has to know what he does for a living and that..."

"Which is why Jack is taking this seriously." Samantha interrupted him, still intrigued with the family scene playing out in Jack's office. "She knows what a dangerous world she lives in. What kind of world she has brought her children into. She deals with it everyday. But look at her. She's really scared. And for a woman who lives her life under the gun to be afraid, something's gotta be up."

"But what I don't understand is why she came to us." Martin joined in. "When a mob hit man goes missing, the Feds usually aren't your first stop. This seems to be the kind of thing they would want to take care of within the family, right?"

"Unless it is the family you are afraid of." Danny stated, looking again at Theresa Caruso through the glass but this time seeing her much differently. Suddenly Danny realized that this beautiful, young mother with the soft voice and gentle touch had to be made out of steel. By simply sitting in this office, she was risking her very way of life.

"We have to make completely sure that Joey and Anthony Caruso never find out that we are investigating this." Samantha said, a determined look in her eyes. "If they do, Eddie and Theresa Caruso are as good as dead."

"If he's not already." Danny said. Then eyeing Sam suspiciously and playfully, he asked, "How is it, exactly, that you seem to know so much about the Caruso crime family?"

Sam smiled coyly at both Danny and Martin. "A girl's gotta have her secrets."

"And yours involves organized crime?" Danny asked, raising his eyebrow and looking over at Martin. This time, it was Martin's turn to shake his head.

"I dabble." Sam said lightly. Then, for Martin's benefit, she added, "And I dated an agent in the Criminal Division. He was part of the team investigating the Caruso family's ties to the Mayor. And he liked to brag."

"The Caruso crime family has ties to the mayor of New York?" Martin asked, ignoring her not so playful jab at his ego by talking about one of her ex-boyfriends.

"Anthony, Joey and Eddie Caruso run their business with a strong hand and without much resistance from law enforcement. Why do you think that is?" Sam asked, knowing they already knew the answer to that question. The Caruso boys were the heads of a local labor union that contributed substantial donations the current mayor's re-election campaign. The fact that the union was not much more than a front for organized crime never seemed to be discussed that much by anyone outside of the F.B.I.

"So, Joey and Eddie are Anthony Caruso's sons?" Danny asked, intrigued.

Sam shook her head and answered, "Joey is Anthony's son. Eddie's father was Paul Caruso, Anthony's brother. Everyone called him Big Pauly. Paul and Anthony learned the business as youngsters and, like good fathers, passed their knowledge down to their sons. The two elder Caruso brothers built the largest organization on the entire East Coast. Those whose organizations were against them, had a tough fight on their hands if they wanted to take over Paul and Tony's territory. They've left terrible death and destruction in their wake as they climbed through the ranks of the family business. Always in danger, the two had a difficult time keeping their families safe from the threats of rivaling families. But that didn't stop them from bringing those families into the fold. Eddie learned the business aspect of the family's organization and seemed to remove himself from the violence end of it. Joey, by default, is the muscle."

"So Eddie Caruso is really just a big teddy bear with a mean old man and a business degree?" Danny asked with his usual sarcasm in his voice.

"Hardly." Sam replied. "Big Pauly was the enforcer of his day. He did business the violent way. Bloodshed was a daily occurrence for Eddie and his family and I'm sure he learned at an early age to be hard and never back down from anyone."

"Was?" Martin asked.

"Big Pauly Caruso died in prison about 17 years ago. Big Pauly was the family fall guy. He routinely went to prison on minor charges that the Feds could muster up to keep his family's true crimes from being uncovered. Most inmates knew who he was and left him alone, but he did make a few enemies. And one of them killed him during breakfast one morning." Sam shook her head and said, "After his father's death, Eddie really stepped up and took his place in the family."

"How old was he? Ten?" Danny wanted to know.

"Apparently, Eddie has been on our radar since he was 16."

Danny shook his head again and muttered, "Not old enough to vote or buy beer, but apparently 16 is a good age to start killing people." He looked back at the little boy innocently playing with trucks on the floor of Jack's office. The legacy of violence he had been born into turned Danny's stomach. He knew they had to do something.

Jack and Vivian waved the rest of the group over to where they stood. When Martin, Danny and Samantha joined them, Jack said, "Obviously we all know how delicate this situation is. And how dangerous. But I think we may have found an avenue to start with."

Vivian continued, quietly, "Eddie Caruso has a sister. Angie Sullivan. She is a pediatrician at New York Hospital."

"And why do we believe that it is safer to talk to this Caruso than any of the others?" Danny asked, raising his eyebrow skeptically.

"Because she cut off ties to her family sixteen years ago. And hasn't looked back since." Jack answered, matter of factly.

"So what makes you think she'll talk to us?"

"Her father's dead. Her mother's dead. She wants nothing to do with her uncles or cousins on her father's side. Eddie is the only living member of her immediate family that is left. Her cousin, Mike Sullivan, is a detective with the NYPD. I just got off the phone with him and he says that Eddie and Angie were very close before Angie left the fold." Jack looked around at his team and continued, "So, we play on her sense of family and see what happens. It's all we've got."

Danny shrugged and pulled on his jacket, saying, "Then, let's give it a shot."


	3. Mary Angelina

_Thanks for the reviews, everyone! I appreciate everyone's interest in this story!_

_I don't own the character of King Benny in this chapter...I borrowed him from the movie "Sleepers". _

_Enjoy..._

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**Chapter Three - Mary Angelina**

_New York Hospital: Pediatric Ward - 13 Hours Missing_

Special Agents Malone, Taylor and Spade stepped off the elevator into the brightly decorated pediatric ward of New York Hospital and found their way to the nurses station. On their way to the desk, they looked around at all the children they passed in the hallway. Sick and pale children, children in wheelchairs, and frightened children clinging to their parents. Danny shook his head and tried not to think about it.

Flashing his badge at the middle aged nurse behind the desk, Jack said, "Good morning. I'm Special Agent Jack Malone with the F.B.I. and these are agents Taylor and Spade. We are looking for Dr. Angela Sullivan."

"Angelina." The nurse corrected him, not bothering to look up from her paperwork.

"I beg your pardon?" Jack asked, not sure if she was talking to him or not.

"Dr. Angelina Sullivan, not Angela. Mary Angelina." The nurse finally looked up at the three agents, flashed a cheerful smile, and said, "Isn't that a lovely name?" Jack, Sam and Danny all nodded as the nurse continued, "Me? I get stuck with Margie for a name, and she gets Mary Angelina. The world can be so cruel sometimes. But, a beautiful name befits a beautiful girl."

"Margie is a perfectly lovely name." Danny said with a grin.

Margie's eyes twinkled as she returned Danny's grin. "Well, aren't you the charmer?" But the twinkle left her eyes when she remembered that they were F.B.I. agents. "What do you want with Angie? Is she in trouble?" Margie asked. "That girl doesn't have the time to do anything wrong. She practically lives at this hospital."

Jack shook his head and halted her protests. "She's not in any trouble. We just want to ask her a few questions about a missing person she might know."

Margie eyed them suspiciously then looked down at her the charts she was working on. "Angie is in Room 304. Down the hall, on your right." Jack, Danny, and Sam turned and headed off in the direction she pointed and they heard Margie call out from behind them, "That girl is a God-send for these children. Don't go stirring up any trouble, you hear me?"

The door to Room 304 was open when the agents approached and they looked inside to see a beautiful, young doctor taking blood from the arm of a little girl. The girl, who couldn't be any older than seven, had bandages wrapped around her head, partially covering her golden blond curls. A woman, who the agents guessed was the girl's mother, sat in a chair nearby.

"OK, Gracie, we're almost done here. Just a little bit more." Dr. Angie Sullivan flashed a warm smile up at the little girl. "Is this your teddy bear?"

Gracie returned the doctor's warm smile and said quietly, "His name is Bob."

"Bob, hmm? That's a great name." Angie said, "I had a dog named Bob when I was little. He had big floppy ears and a white patch around his left eye. Do you have a dog?"

Gracie shook her head, "I have a cat. Mitzy."

Gracie winced as Angie removed the needle from her arm once an adequate amount of blood had been drawn. Angie swabbed Gracie's arm and secured a Barbie band-aid over the puncture wound. She reached up and smoothed out Gracie's curls with her finger tips. "You are such a brave little girl, Gracie. Thanks for talking with me."

Angie picked up the vile of blood and walked over to Gracie's mom. "I'll get this down to the lab, run some tests, and we should know a little bit more by tomorrow. Hang in there."

Angie was scribbled something on her clipboard as she walked out into the hallway, almost colliding with Jack and Danny. She looked up, startled, as Danny put his hand on her arm to steady her. "I'm sorry." She mumbled, looking around for a lab technician.

"Dr. Sullivan?" Jack asked her.

"Just one second." Angie replied, distracted by the sudden appearance of the lab tech she had been looking for. To him, she said, "Hey, Jerry. Run this down to the lab for me and ask Karen to run the tests on it for Gracie Markum. And put a rush on it. She'll know what I'm talking about." The lab tech nodded and took off down the hall. Angie turned back to Jack and said, "I'm sorry. Can I help you?"

"Are you Dr. _Angelina _Sullivan?" Jack asked again, this time placing the emphasis on her first name.

A tired smile spread over Angie's face as she said, "You called me Angela in front of Margie, didn't you?" Jack nodded as Angie laughed and continued, "She has this thing about my name. I don't always understand it, but she's a fabulous nurse and an even better human being."

"It's a great name." Sam said, finally joining the conversation. "Very Italian."

"So am I." Angie replied.

"Sullivan?" Sam asked, feigning ignorance about her identity. "Sounds pretty Irish to me."

"It's was my mother's maiden name."

"So then, what is your family name?" Sam asked.

Angie eyed her suspiciously and then turned to look at Danny and Jack. "What did you say your names were?"

"We didn't." Danny said, flashing his badge and stepping in front of Sam. Starting off by lying to this woman wasn't going to work. "I'm Special Agent Danny Taylor, this is Agent Spade, and this is Senior Agent Jack Malone."

"F.B.I." Angie said, reading their badges. Her demeanor changed immediately. No longer relaxed, they could practically see her wall of suspicion go up before their very eyes. She stiffened and her eyes narrowed. In a low voice, she said, "Then I suspect you already know my family name."

"We need your help, Dr. Sullivan." Jack said, also lowering his voice. "Is there somewhere we can speak in private?"

"I have nothing to say to you." Angie said, turning to walk away from them.

Jack caught up with her in two strides. In a hushed tone, he said, "Your brother, Eddie, has gone missing. We need your help to find him."

Angie stopped in the middle of the hallway and turned to look at him as Danny and Sam caught up to them. "Eddie?" She asked, in a whisper. Her face remained unreadable, but every emotion going through her was evident in her eyes. Fear. Sorrow. Confusion. She looked around at the three of them and then shook her head. "I haven't seen Eddie in over 15 years. I can't help you."

As she turned to walk away from them again, Jack grabbed her arm. She whirled back around to look at him, her eyes flashing with fire. "You may be the only one who can." He said, letting her go gently. "His wife and children are counting on you."

"You've seen Theresa?" Angie asked, surprise registering in her face.

"She came to us for help." Jack replied.

"How did you know his wife's name was Theresa?" Sam asked. "If you haven't seen him in 15 years?"

Angie glared at Sam, her dislike for her apparent. "I've heard."

Angie looked back at Jack and Danny and was quiet for a moment. Finally, she pushed open the door to the nearby room and gestured for them to join her inside. Once they were all inside the deserted room, Angie locked the door behind them. "No one here has any idea who my family is." she began. "I dropped the Caruso name when I left home at 16. I've been Angie Sullivan ever since. I have no desire to change any of that now."

"In my experience, people who change their names are usually running from something..." Sam began, before she was cut off.

"Or starting over." Danny quickly interrupted, eyeing Samantha. "With you, I am guessing the latter is true."

"We don't get to choose our parents, Agent Taylor." Angie said. "But we do get to choose how we live our lives in spite of them. Eddie made one choice. I made another."

"And now your brother is missing." Jack stated, eyeing this young woman with interest.

Angie straightened and turned toward the window, trying to mask the pain that was overwhelming her. "Unfortunately, Agent Malone, 'going missing' in my family usually means the kiss of death. You may be wasting your time."

"Your sister in law doesn't think so."

Looking out over the city, Angie was quiet for a moment. Finally she turned back to face them, her face once more unreadable. "I'm sure that Eddie is Theresa's whole world. She has to believe that he's only missing. But we all know that just isn't true, is it?"

"We work missing persons, Dr. Sullivan." Danny told her. "We devote our lives to believing that people are simply missing until we have proof otherwise."

"That's a fine sentiment, Agent Taylor. And I hope that you're right." Angie said, quietly. "But, I know where I come from. And I know that my brother was very good at his job. That's the only reason he stayed alive as long as he did." Angie turned back to the window and looked out over Central Park again. Quietly and firmly, she said, "But my Uncle Tony and my cousin Joey are good, too. There won't be any proof for you to find. Proof of life, or proof of death." A single tear rolled down her cheek and Angie quickly brushed it away before anyone could see it.

Gently, Sam said, "I worked with your cousin, Michael Sullivan, when I was with the NYPD. He's a good cop."

Angie turned away from the window again and accepted the peace offering Sam was giving her. She smiled through her sadness and said, "Yeah, he is. A good cop, a good cousin, a good man."

"Mike says that you and Eddie were very close once." Sam continued quietly, wondering if this new approach would lead anywhere.

"In another lifetime, we were. Thick as thieves, you know." Angie gave a short little laugh before saying, "We grew up together. Eddie, Mikey and me. In Hell's Kitchen, of all places."

"I thought the Caruso family has a compound in Bedford?" Danny asked.

"They do." Angie told him. "I was born there. But my mom grew up in Hell's Kitchen. My dad did a five year stint at Riker's when I was younger and my mom decided that she wanted to be closer to her own family. Mike's dad...my uncle Frank. So she moved us back there for awhile."

"Rough place to grow up." Danny remarked.

"Not as rough as the Caruso compound." Angie said quickly. "Actually, I felt safer during those years in Hell's Kitchen than I ever did in Bedford." Seeing their confused looks, Angie explained. "When we were growing up, Hell's Kitchen was like our own little closed-off world. The west side streets of Manhattan were our private playground. Believe it or not, we had a safety net there unlike in any other New York neighborhood. Because crimes against people of the neighborhood were not permitted. Benny Spinopolli ruled the streets with an iron fist. But to those of us who knew him, he was always 'King Benny'." The name of Hell's Kitchen's most notorious hit man rolled off her tongue like he was just any other guy. In reality, he had been a hit man for Lucky Luciano. "I had no idea he was more dangerous than my own father until after we had moved back to Bedford. He had always looked out for us kids in the neighborhood. I think he still runs his fish market in Hell's Kitchen." Angie smiled at the memory, then said. "It was a place of innocence, that just happened to be ruled by corruption. The innocence is gone now, but the corruption never died."

Danny shook his head at the fact that this woman was on a first name basis with killers like Benny Spinopolli and the Caruso boys. It was a new world they were working in.

"I used to follow Eddie and Mike around like a puppy dog. I worshipped them." The pain that came over Angie's face this time was not masked so easily. "Leaving Eddie behind was the hardest thing I ever had to do."

"What happened?" Jack prodded.

"My father died in prison. My mother died soon after. I had no reason to stay there any longer." Angie took a deep breath and said, "As you can well imagine, my father left me a sizable inheritance. I used it to pay for boarding school and left the Caruso's behind."

"And Eddie stayed?" Danny asked quietly.

She couldn't lift her head to look them in the eyes. Staring at the floor, she said, "Yes." Her voice broke as she repeated, "And Eddie stayed." Pulling herself together, Angie straightened and finally raised her head. The wall was back up and the agents knew that they had gotten as much out of her as they were going to get. "I haven't seen him since then. So I am sorry, agents, but like I said before...I have nothing more to say to you."

Sam and Danny looked to Jack, who moved toward the door. "Thank you for your help, Dr. Sullivan. We'll contact you when we find your brother."

Angie turned quickly to look at them as they left the room.

Out in the hallway, Sam stated flatly, "She's hiding something."

Jack smirked and said, "The total tonnage of what that woman is hiding could fill the Empire State Building. Not only do we have to find out what she is hiding, but we also have to figure out why she is protecting the family she claims to despise."

Danny shook his head. "I don't think she's protecting the family." He said, pushing the button for the elevator. "I think she's protecting Eddie. I don't buy for a second that she hasn't seen him in 15 years."

Back in the empty patient room, Angie wiped away the tears that she could no longer hold back. Dialing her cell phone, Angie waited for the person on the other end to pick up. When they did, Angie whispered urgently, "I just thought that you should know that the Feds just left. Do you want to tell me what the hell is going on?" She paused for a moment, then said, "We need to talk. Meet me by the duck pond in the park. And be careful."


	4. The Women Who Love Him

_Thanks for your reviews, anmodo...maybe we were separated at birth! Ha Ha!_

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**Chapter Four - The Women Who Love Him**

_Central Park - 15 Hours Missing_

"Aunt Angie!"

Angie turned around just in time to see her 4 year old nephew, Eddie Caruso jr., flying toward her. She smiled, bent down, and opened her arms as he barreled into them. Picking him up, she held him tightly to her body and breathed in the sticky, sweet, little boy scent of him.

"Ow! Aunt Angie, you're hurtin' me!" Little Eddie cried, wriggling to get free from her grasp.

"Sorry, buddy." Angie laughed, kissing his soft cheek and putting him back down on the ground. He grinned up at her and Angie almost had to catch her breath. He was the spitting image of his father. "Are you here to feed the ducks?" she asked.

"Yeah!" He said, turning to look out over the duck pond. "Ducks!"

Theresa came up to them at that moment, pushing baby Rose in her stroller. "Playground first, young man. So that mommy can talk to Aunt Angie."

"Aww, mama!" Little Eddie protested, pasting a pout on his adorable little face. But Theresa was having none of it and Little Eddie knew it. Without any more protests, he headed off to find a friend on the nearby playground.

Angie and Theresa embraced for a moment longer than they should have, and when they parted both women had tears in their eyes. Theresa clasped Angie's hand as they sat together on the bench and looked out over the playground where Little Eddie was having such fun. They shared a few quiet moments together before either woman spoke.

"Do you think he's dead?" Theresa finally asked, her voice eerily calm.

"I don't see any other way for this to have ended." Angie said, afraid to look at her sister in law. She shook her head and asked, "What happened? I thought he was getting out?"

"He was." Theresa told her, reaching down to rearrange the blankets that covered baby Rose in her stroller. "I don't know how. He never told me. But his plan was to walk away. We were getting ready to follow your lead...walking away and never looking back."

Angie nodded. "I knew I would finally lose him when you did. And I was getting ready for that. Because I knew it meant you'd be safer. But it wasn't supposed to play out like this."

Theresa half snorted and half laughed at that. "Nothing in my life was supposed to play out like this. When I was dreaming about my prince as a little girl, he didn't carry a gun or launder dirty money for his family." She shook her head and asked, "How the hell did I get here? I am a nice girl from the suburbs, for Christ's sake! And here I am in the middle of this dark, dangerous, and deadly life. I married a man who could never promise me that he'd return home at the end of the day, couldn't promise a life of safety and security. The only thing he could ever promise me was that he would protect and love his family." Her grasp on Angie's hand tightened a bit as she continued, "I did this to myself. I knew what I was walking into with this relationship and then marriage. I thought I could handle it. Block it out. If I didn't actually have to see him work, I could pretend that what he did wasn't deadly. But, in the back of my mind, I still worried every day about the life I'd have if, God forbid, he was to leave one evening and not return. And now that has happened."

Angie heard Theresa's voice break with that last statement and knew that she could not look over at her sister-in-law at that moment and remain composed. She remained silent for a few moments, then took a deep breath and asked, "Why did you bring this to the Feds?"

Theresa bent over and buried her face in her hands. "I didn't know what else to do. I had no where to go." She raked her fingers through her dark hair and shook her head again. "I figured out right away when he didn't come home that Tony and Joey had to be behind it, so I couldn't go to them for help...I knew I would get the run around. I guess I thought that the Feds would be part of Eddie's plan to leave the organization, so I went to them..." Her voice trailed off and she simply said, "I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking." She turned to look at Angie and asked, "What did they say to you?"

"Not too much. It was a fishing expedition on their part. I kind of tried to cut them off at the knees, but they kept bringing up my relationship with Eddie."

"What did you say?"

"What I always say...I lied my ass off." A smirk came onto Angie's face, but disappeared quickly. "I told them that I haven't seen him in more than 15 years. If anyone in the family ever found out that we have really been in contact on a regular basis, I would get dragged back into the middle of this so fast it would make everyone's head spin. It was part of the conditions they laid out for me...if I chose to walk away, I could never look back."

"He never would have made it if he hadn't been able to hear your voice when things got tough." Theresa said, her eyes filling with tears. "To know that you are out there doing some good in this world and that he is responsible for it in a small way, it helps him sleep at night. He always said that getting you out is the only good he's ever done in his whole life."

"Well that's certainly not true. He did that." Angie nodded down to the stroller where Rose slept as peacefully as only an infant could. Then she looked out at the playground where Little Eddie was hanging like a monkey from the parallel bars and throwing his head back in sheer delight. "And that." She nudged Theresa's shoulder in a playful gesture. "With a little help." Theresa smiled at her and looked out at her son as Angie continued, "I couldn't have made it through the last 16 years without him, either. It's an awful thing to be completely alone in this world. I knew that when I walked away. But part of me knew that I would never be alone as long as he was drawing breath."

"You had your mom's family. Your Uncle Frank and Aunt Mary...Mikey and Anna." Theresa reminded her.

"I know. And they did everything humanly possible to try and make up for the fact that the Caruso's sucked the life blood out of me when I lived with them. But it wasn't ever the same as it was with Eddie." Angie shook her head again. "There were always things I had to hide from the Sullivan side of my family...for their safety and mine. But I never had any secrets from Eddie. He knew about all the things that scared me, the things that still make me cry. He was the only person I could ever really be me with."

"Let's not talk about him in past tense just yet, OK?" Theresa asked. "I have never been one to hold onto hope, but it seems like a good time to start." Angie nodded and Theresa said slowly, "Maybe you should cooperate with the F.B.I."

"In what way?"

"Maybe you should tell them that you lied...that you have been in contact with Eddie during these last 16 years. Almost every day, in fact." Theresa said. "Tell them why you left and why you'll never go back."

"If I tell them that, I will have to tell them why he stayed." Angie shook her head. "I don't know if I'm ready for that. I don't know if the F.B.I. is ready for that. They have built their entire existence on the idea that everyone in the mob is evil. Finding out that Eddie is an amazingly good guy could derail their whole system of government."

Theresa took a big breath and said quietly, "Eventually, Angie, you're going to have to trust someone. If you start now, with these agents, we might be able to help Eddie."

"And if they don't believe me?"

"The things you know...the things you've seen...could bring down the entire Caruso crime family. They should not only believe you, they should be falling at your feet." Theresa turned and finally looked Angie full in the eye. "You've kept silent all these years because you were afraid that what you knew could bring down the family and Eddie right along with them. But now, Eddie may not be a part of that equation any more. Bringing down Joey, Uncle Tony, and the boys may be the only way to find out what happened to him. And one way or another, we have to know what happened to him."

Angie nodded. "Never knowing would be worse. We could spend the rest of our lives asking each other 'What if's' and slowly drive ourselves insane. There's only so much hope to hold onto before it runs out."

"So, what are you going to do?" Theresa wanted to know.

Angie shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. Right now, I'm just going to feed the ducks with my nephew and enjoy the simple sound of a little boy's laughter."


	5. Visitor in the Night

**Chapter Five - Visitor in the Night**

_Angie Sullivan's Brooklyn Brownstone - 32 Hours Missing_

The early morning hours drew near and Angie was restless. She couldn't sleep, even though she had just worked nineteen straight hours at the hospital. She slipped quietly from her bed, wrapped an afghan around her shoulders and gazed out the window across the Brooklyn Bridge at the Manhattan skyline. For as long as she could remember she had wondered if her life was to end in tragedy the way both her parents, and now maybe her brothers, had. If she told the F.B.I. what she knew about her family and things didn't go according to plan, her uncle would come after her without giving it a second thought. The demons she had been running from for most of her life were finally catching up to her. And the one person who had always protected her was gone.

Silently, Angie padded downstairs and into her kitchen. She pulled open the refrigerator door, peered inside, and shook her head. The vast assortment of half empty take out containers screamed back at her that a single woman who works too much and has no social life lives in her house. Her mother, a fabulous cook, was probably looking down from Heaven and shaking her head in disgust.

Heating up some leftover Beef Lo Mein, Angie flopped down on her overstuffed couch and turned on the television. After flipping through channel after channel of infomercials, she finally settled on a rerun of an early _Gilmore Girls_ episode. Angie snuggled up in her afghan, ate her Chinese food, and settled into the zany world of Rory and Lorelei Gilmore. It wasn't long before the antics of the make believe mother and daughter team on the T.V. screen had Angie missing her own mother. The tears began to well up in her eyes and she suddenly found it hard to swallow.

Her mother, Rose Sullivan Caruso, had fallen in love with Paul Caruso when she was only seventeen and, like Theresa, knew exactly what she was getting into. She knew that Big Pauly, her father's nickname, led a life that was dangerous and deadly, and it was the only life he knew. He would never leave 'the family.' It's who he was. But Rose's brother, Frankie, was a cop and when she fell in love with Big Pauly, Rose had to make the choice between the two worlds. At first she chose the world of the Caruso family...exciting and like something she had only seen in the movies. But Big Pauly spent most of the next twenty years in and out of jail, leaving Rose to raise Angie and Eddie at the Caruso compound. But she didn't like what her children were learning there, so when the kids were young she moved them in with Frankie and his wife, Mary, in Hell's Kitchen. They spent the next six years with the Sullivan's, but moved back to the Caruso compound when Angie was 11, for reasons that were still unclear to her. It was one of the big mysteries of her childhood...why they had ever returned to her Uncle Tony's estate. Three years later her father was back in jail and six months after that he was dead. When Rose died the next year, Angie had finally had enough death to last her a lifetime.

The pounding on her front door pulled Angie's thoughts back to reality. She glanced at the clock on her VCR. It was a little after 5 a.m. Who could possibly be at her door at this hour? Pulling the afghan tightly around her silk pajamas, Angie looked out her peep hole to see a shadowy figure standing on her stoop.

"Who is it?" She asked cautiously into the darkness.

"Agent Danny Taylor." Came the reply, which startled Angie. "We met yesterday at the hospital."

"What do you want?" Angie felt her heart begin to race, and not just because she remembered how handsome Agent Taylor was. Why was he at her home? And why was he alone?

"To talk to you." Danny said, then waited through the silence that followed. "Please let me in, Dr. Sullivan. I don't mean any harm."

Angie flipped on her outside light and opened the door, but didn't move aside to allow him into her entry foyer. "What are you doing here?" She asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

"I was in the neighborhood." He smirked, taking in the sight of the cool and confident doctor in her pajamas, fuzzy slippers, and an afghan wrapped around her shoulders. He had to remind himself that it wasn't supposed to matter that she looked both adorable and sexy at the same time...he was here on business.

"At 5 o'clock in the morning?" Angie asked, raising her eyebrow at him.

Danny looked around at her tree lined neighborhood and, never missing a beat, said, "I was jogging."

"In a suit and tie?" Angie almost had to grin, but she remained stony faced. He was very charming.

Changing his tactic, Danny said, "You lied to me. And to my partners."

"Yes I did."

Whatever he was expecting out of this conversation with her, that wasn't it. Her honest answer to his accusation threw him off his game for only a moment before he said, "Maybe you should let me in so we can discuss the ramifications of lying to federal officer."

"Am I under arrest?"

"No." Danny shook his head. "But it is cold out here and I would like to have this conversation indoors, if that's ok."

Angie stared at him for a few moments and then in a silent gesture, stepped aside so that he could come into her home. She was not at all sure that this was a good idea.

Danny stepped into her living room and glanced around. "Nice place."

"Thanks." Angie glanced around nervously and said, "I'd offer you some coffee, but I haven't made any yet."

"Because coffee and lo mein don't mix?" He teased, picking up the almost empty carton she had been eating out of and grinning at her.

Angie returned his grin and said, "Something like that." Her tone turning serious, she asked, "Why are you here again?"

"To find out why you lied." He answered.

"Haven't you heard? I'm a Caruso. Lying is one of our many talents."

"But you seem to be the only redeemable one out of your family. So, here's your chance to redeem yourself." Danny crossed his arms and looked at her. "When was the last time you saw your brother?"

Angie took on the challenge he was presenting and met his steady gaze, while her options whirled around in her head. Should she trust him? Even though she had an inherent feeling that he really wanted to help her, he was a Federal Agent. She was raised to distrust Federal Agents and old habits die hard. She decided to play it coy. "How do you know I won't just lie to you again?"

Danny's tone softened as he said, "Because I think you want me to find your brother. I think that even though everything within you is telling you that he's dead, you are dying for some shred of hope to hold on to. Some little piece of evidence that proves that the only person you have left in this world hasn't been taken away from you."

Angie turned away from him, shocked that he had hit so close to home. "What do you know about it?"

"More than you think." Danny said quietly. "I know what it's like to feel that you are all alone in this world. I know the loneliness that hits you like a freight train in the middle of the night as you realize yet again that no one is there. I know the quiet desperation that comes from working every holiday because you don't have any family to celebrate with. I know that it can drive you to the very limits of your sanity."

"Agent Taylor..." Angie began, but he cut her off.

"Call me Danny."

"OK, _Danny_." Angie started again, sarcasm dripping from her voice to hide the pain that he had stirred up within her. "You may be an expert at loneliness, but you are not even close to being an expert on me. You know nothing about me."

"I know that you met your sister-in-law in the park yesterday." Danny said, causing Angie to glare at him. "The sister-in-law who you couldn't possibly know if you haven't seen your brother in 15 years because he only married her seven years ago."

"Were you following me?" She asked incredulously.

"You were in the middle of a public park." He countered.

"It was safer that way." She said, turning away from him to take her empty food container into the kitchen. She braced herself against the counter and took a deep breath. She needed to collect herself. Agent Danny Taylor had caught her completely off guard and she didn't like to be off guard. Mary Angelina Sullivan was used to being in complete control.

She heard him follow her into the kitchen, but she didn't turn around. He had an uncanny ability to see through her and she needed to regain the upper hand in their conversation. Quietly he asked, "When was the last time you saw your brother, Angie?"

Angie sighed and turned around. She was going to have to tell him the truth. "Last week. We met for lunch."

"Why is it a secret?" Danny wanted to know.

"That's not important." Angie said, walking past him back into the living room.

"Why don't you let me decide that?" Danny said, following her. She pulled the afghan tighter around herself and sat on her sofa. Danny looked at her for a moment and thought she looked like a little girl, lost and scared.

But that look was gone when she turned to him and said, "You don't get to decide what is important to my life. You have no idea what you are dealing with here. What my family is capable of."

"We can't help you if you aren't straight with us." Danny said, his tone gentling. She was scared. He could see it. Under that tough attitude, the fear was evident in her eyes. But what was she afraid of? Why did she believe her family would hurt her?

"You came to me." Angie said. "I didn't ask for your help."

"Theresa did." He reminded her.

"Theresa is naive. She still believes that this can have a happy ending." Angie's words were so cold that Danny was sure he felt a chill run up his spine. The pain in this woman's life ran deeper than any of them could imagine. She trusted no one.

"What did they do to you, Angie?" Danny asked softly, resisting the urge to comfort her. "Why did you really leave the Caruso family behind?"

For a moment, Angie looked like she wanted to tell him everything. To unload the burdens she had been carrying for so many years. But that moment passed and the wall of protection that she had so carefully constructed so many years ago was back. Angie stood up and walked into the hallway. "You need to leave now, Agent Taylor. You never should have come here."


	6. Where Do We Go From Here?

**Chapter Six - Where Do We Go From Here?**

_F.B.I. Headquarters, Missing Persons Division_** - **_Thirty Five Hours Missing_

"You went to her house?" Jack demanded in a tone of voice that told Danny that he didn't really want an answer to that question. "Without any backup?"

"At five o'clock in the morning?" Vivian asked, her tone a bit gentler than Jack's. But not much.

But Jack wasn't done with Danny and wasn't about to let Vivian take over. "What if she had confessed to something that could help us find Eddie Caruso? And then we couldn't use it because it ended up being your word against hers? What were you thinking?"

"That Angie Sullivan probably looked damn sexy in her pajamas." Martin said, not quite under his breath, and grinned. The comment brought on a slight laugh from Samantha, who quickly covered her mouth with her hand when Danny shot them both a look that could kill.

"What I _thought_," Danny began, glaring at Martin and Samantha, "is that we are trying to stay off the radar with this case. So I was on my way into work and decided to swing by her place. Maybe if I could talk to her as just the two of us, making her feel like it wasn't an interrogation, that she might be more willing to talk."

"Did she?" Vivian wanted to know.

"All she admitted was that she lied and that she has been in contact with her brother recently."

"Which we already knew after we saw her with her sister-in-law." Jack reminded him.

"She's scared, Jack." Danny said. "Terrified of her family. The family she walked away from..."

"The family who has left her alone for all these years." Martin continued.

"She seems to be torn between wanting to help us find her brother and protecting him, or someone else, from the Caruso's." Danny shook his head. "Whatever we have stumbled onto here, it is big."

"Too big to handle ourselves. We need to talk to someone in the Criminal Division..." Vivian began, but Danny cut her off.

"No." He said, shaking his head. "If the guys in Criminal get involved and it somehow sends up a red flag to the Caruso family, we're signing Angie's death warrant." Jack turned to plead his case to Jack, saying, "You saw her Jack. She was completely out of the loop. We brought her family back into her life when we went to the hospital to see her. And now she's scared. This woman grew up calling one of the toughest criminals out there 'Daddy' and she seems like someone who can take care of herself. We have to find a way to get her to talk to us. Or find another way."

"What way?" Jack asked, inclined to agree with Danny.

"Mike Sullivan." Sam said suddenly.

"Her cousin, the detective?" Martin asked. "Don't you think his loyalties are a little divided?"

"Detective Mike Sullivan my be related to the mob in some way, but you're not going to meet a more stand up cop. His father, Frank Sullivan, patroled the street of Hell's Kitchen as a rookie and worked his way up to captain before he retired. One of the most decorated and respected cops out there. If Eddie Caruso inherited the Caruso legacy, then on the other end of the crime spectrum Mike Sullivan inherited the legacy of Frank Sullivan." Sam said, almost defensively. "It's no secret to anyone in the department that Mike's uncle was Big Pauly Caruso and he had to overcome a lot of skepticism to get where he is. But I'd put his credibility up there with yours."

"Let's find him."


	7. The Ties that Bind

**Chapter Seven - The Ties that Bind**

_Sullivan's Irish Pub in Queens, NY - Thirty Eight Hours Missing_

The sign in the window of Sullivan's Irish Pub said CLOSED, but that didn't stop Sam, Martin, and Danny from peering in the front window anyway. The chairs were on top of the tables and the place was deserted except for two men...the older of the two was standing behind the bar and the younger was straddling a bar stool in front of him. Seeing the three agents looking at them from the sidewalk, the older man nodded to his younger counterpart and continued drying off the freshly washed beer glasses in front of him. Sam smiled and waved as the younger man ambled off his stool and moved to open the door for them.

"Hey, Mikey." Samantha said warmly as the door to the pub was opened for them by NYPD Detective Mike Sullivan.

"How's it going, Spade?" Mike returned her grin as he stepped aside to let the agents into the dusty darkness of his parents' pub.

"I can't complain."

"You never do." He gave her a once over with his eyes and then grinned mischievously. "Looks like the F.B.I. agrees with you."

"It does. Just like the force has always agreed with you." Sam flirted back, following him to the bar with Danny and Martin right behind her. "These are agents Danny Taylor and Martin Fitzgerald. Guys, this is Mike Sullivan."

"Nice to meet you both." Mike said, shaking hands with Danny first, and then Martin. "This is my father, Frank Sullivan. Owner and barkeep of this fine establishment."

Frank, Sam, Martin, and Danny all nodded their greetings. Frank eyed them skeptically and then said, "We don't usually shut down like this in the middle of the day. The lunch crowd has already been calling wanting to know how long we're going to be closed. Let's get this over with so that we can get back to business." Frank Sullivan let them know right away that he was a no-nonsense, get down to business kind of guy...which is what made him such a good cop.

"Pop," Mike said, throwing an exasperated glance in his father's direction, "they're okay. Samantha is a former cop."

"Then she should know better than to come here." Came Frank's terse reply.

Ignoring his father's foul attitude, Mike offered the trio some stools at the bar to sit on. He rubbed his hands together and said, "Speaking of the lunch crowd, are you hungry? My mom's back in the kitchen cooking up some specialties for today. We've got all the Irish delicacies covered on our menu. Corned Beef and Cabbage, Fish and Chips, Shepard's Pie, Irish Stew, Guinness Wings..."

"Guinness Wings?" Samantha asked, looking over the menu Mike handed her.

"My pop's secret recipe. We pour a few bottles of Guinness directly into the BBQ sauce before coating the chicken wings."

"We're on duty, detective." Samantha teased.

Mike grinned at her. "Then I recommend the Bangers and Mash."

"What," Danny asked skeptically, "are Bangers and Mash?"

Mike transferred his grin to Danny and said, "I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you aren't an Irishman? Because all good Irishman know Bangers and Mash."

"Cuban." Danny answered, looking over the menu that Samantha just handed him.

"Bangers and Mash is pork sausages with mashed potatoes." Martin told Danny. "When made right, they are heavenly."

"My wife makes them right. She makes her own sausages." Frank joined the conversation, leaning down to put the clean glasses below the bar. "And the wings don't have enough alcohol in them to affect you. We have cops come in here all the time on their lunch break."

Not wanting to offend Frank Sullivan before they got the information they needed, Samantha requested an order of the Guinness wings for the three of them to share. As Mike went into the kitchen to put in the order, Samantha turned her attention to Frank. "I hear you started out walking the beat in Hell's Kitchen. Tough assignment."

Frank eyed her warily for a few moments and then finally said, "Not really. I grew up there. It's where I wanted to be. Iced tea?" When Martin, Sam and Danny nodded, Frank busied himself pouring them something to drink as he continued to talk. "Our biggest headache was trying to keep drugs out of the neighborhood. From the youngest age, the kids of Hell's Kitchen were told it was wrong to steal from anyone from the neighborhood. Street muggings were rare and the price for mugging one of the elderly was steep. The cops that worked the neighborhood knew we served a violent clientele and we were there to tend to the physical and psychological wounds of the people who lived there. We listened to battered wives who never pressed charges and gave words of comfort to frightened children who didn't know what the hell was going on. We tried to balance out the violence in their world by talking baseball and books with the kids and tried to guide them away from the fast money and easy times offered by King Benny." Frank put the glasses of iced tea up on the bar and said, "There were some cops that took the payoffs that King Benny offered, but not all of us. We were, however, careful not to stray outside the framework he had set up in the neighborhood. We knew his laws were there long before we arrived and would be there long after we were gone. We were always aware that there were a number of situations over which we had no control."

"It had to be frustrating to try and work against that, being from the neighborhood and all." Danny said, taking a sip of his tea.

Frank nodded and said, "I didn't stay long. As soon as I had taken my knocks as a rookie, I transferred out."

"But you continued to live there?" Martin asked.

"It's tough to raise a family on a cop's salary in this city." Frank said as Samantha nodded. "Rents were low in Hell's Kitchen and I grew up as one of them. There was a respect in that, so everyone looked out for my kids and left us alone for the most part. But, I eventually moved the family out here to Queens."

"But not before your sister and her kids stayed with you while Pauly Caruso was in prison." Samantha remarked as Mike came back out into the bar.

"Which brings us around to the real reason for your visit, doesn't it." Frank said dryly.

"It's nice when it works out that way, isn't it?" Danny remarked with a smirk on his face. The sarcasm caught Frank off guard, but he seemed to appreciate it and returned Danny's smirk.

"Angie giving you the runaround?" Mike asked, settling down on the bar stool next to Samantha. "Tough cookie, isn't she?"

"She demands respect." Frank corrected him, his love and admiration for his niece apparent in his eyes. "She's just like her mother that way. They don't take any shit, those women."

"So we've found out." Martin said, sipping his tea.

"We need her help and..." Samantha began, but Frank cut her off.

"She's not going to tell you anything about that part of her life." He said, looking Sam in the eye. "We haven't been able to get a straight answer out of her since she was 16 years old. And we're her family...she trusts us. You're the Feds. You don't stand a chance and I don't think we can help you. Mikey knows her better than anyone and even he couldn't get anything out of her." Frank shrugged and a defeated tone crept into his voice, "Eventually, we learned to stop asking the wrong questions."

"What are the right questions?" Sam asked.

"About the Caruso's?" Mike asked, and then snorted. "There are no right questions. Only secrets and lies. And pain that has been buried so deep that it may never surface."

"What did they do to her?" Danny asked quietly.

Frank shook his head. " We may never know what really happened. The damage that was done while she lived in that house was long lasting."

"The girl I knew is nowhere to be seen in the woman she's become." Mike said, his tone sad and almost distant. "She used to laugh all the time. You could hear her laugh for miles around and it just made you smile. It was the sound of someone who was truly happy. She smiles now, but I haven't heard her laugh in a long time."

"They ruined her like they ruined her mother." Frank said suddenly, turning away from them so they couldn't see the pain that had come over him reflected in his eyes. But they could hear it in his voice as he continued, "Tried to kill her spirit." Frank was quiet for a few moments and no one said a word, allowing the man a moment with his grief. The fact that he couldn't save his sister from that life and wasn't there when she died weighed heavily on his heart. After a moment, he turned back around and said, "But Angie has fought every day to make sure they didn't win the battle for her soul. She's dedicated her life to saving the children of this city."

"I just don't think she's ever been able to really save herself." Mike added.

"She's risen above it, though. Thrown off the Caruso name, disassociated herself from that side of the family, and has tried to live a life dedicated to bringing some good into this world." Frank said, shaking his head, "It just shouldn't have to be so hard for her, you know? She's survived through enough pain and sorrow to last her twenty lifetimes."

"Why did they leave your home and move back in with the Caruso's?" Sam asked, gently trying to steer the conversation back to something they could use.

"Pauly was in and out of prison for practically their whole marriage. The first time, when Angie was a baby, Rosie stayed at the compound. But the next time he went in, about eight years later, she showed up on my doorstep one night with Eddie and Angie in tow. She didn't offer any explanations and I didn't ask. I was just hoping that it was her first step in leaving that life behind. She assured me that we would be in no danger if they stayed with us and it would only be for a few months."

"It turned into five years." Mike laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Must have been tight quarters." Danny remarked.

"To say the least." Frank agreed. "But those were good years. Eddie and Angie flourished here with us. I think Rose liked having me around as a male role model for Eddie..."

"...one that wasn't a cold blooded killer." Mike added, raising his eyebrow.

"The kids were really close." Frank continued, nodding at Mike. "And safe. I knew where they were at all times and Rosie seemed to lose all the tension she carried in her shoulders since marrying into that mess."

"We even formed an unholy alliance with King Benny." Mike said, goading his father. "He had a soft spot for Angie. He called her his _felicita italiano_...Italian delight."

"Which never made me happy." Frank said, a stern tone to his voice. "I kept telling the kids to stay away from King Benny's place, but it fell on deaf ears. It was too mysterious for them to resist." Frank shook his head again and said, "But when Pauly got out of prison, they went back to the dark side. I tried to convince Rose to stay, but she said that her children needed to be with their father."

"We thought that after Big Pauly died that Aunt Rose would come back. We were living in Queens by then, but she stayed in Bedford." Mike said.

"Why do you think that was?" Danny asked.

"I think she was scared." Frank said, matter of factly. "I always suspected that Tony and Joey called for the hit on Pauly because he was in more of a position to take over the reigns of the family business. I guess there is no honor between brothers in the mafia, no matter what they say about _a la familia._"

"How did Angie and Eddie handle their father's death?" Martin asked, intrigued by the whole story.

"Big Pauly Caruso was a dangerous man with a sinful past and a criminal record. But he was the only father they had. And they loved him. As only children could." Frank leaned over the counter and looked out the window of his pub. "And I guess he loved them too, in his own way. He showered them with expensive gifts to make up for all the time he wasn't around for them. His death was the beginning of the end of our Angie. The Angie that we knew. And when Rose died a year later, it was all she could take. Angie moved herself out of that mansion and set herself up at a fancy Manhattan boarding school. We couldn't convince her to come live with us, but she came around to visit more often. Then with college, and medical school, and her residency, we saw less and less of her. She buried herself in her studies and in medicine." Frank Sullivan's voice choked up as he said, "By then, it was too late. We couldn't reach her anymore. There was an emptiness in her eyes that had never been there before. She wouldn't let us in or tell us how to help. We had failed to save her from what she learned in that house."

"What about Eddie?"

"When Angie got out and Eddie stayed, we were shocked." Mike answered, giving his father a moment to collect himself. "He was a good kid. Never in a million years would I have thought he would follow in his father's footsteps. And I _never _thought he would cut off ties to Angie. They were each other's strength and lifeblood."

"He didn't sever ties with her." Danny said, looking from Frank back to Mike. "They've been in contact since she left."

Mary Sullivan emerged from the kitchen at that moment with their chicken wings. She set them up on the bar and said hello to the agents. Danny dug right in to the wings. "Wow." He said, licking his fingers. "Those are fantastic."

Mary smiled her thanks and approval as Mike, Danny, Sam, and Martin enjoyed her creation. But she knew that the conversation going on out here in the bar area was disturbing. It was written all over her husband's face. "Frankie," she finally said, "I need you in the kitchen. We need to go over the inventory."

Frank grabbed a wing and followed his wife into the kitchen. Once they were gone, Mike said, "I'm sorry we couldn't help you more. But Angie would never tell us what happened in that house. I think it was her way of protecting us. From what...God only knows." He shook his head again and said in a quiet voice, "Whatever happened, it turned Eddie into a hardened criminal determined never to let anyone have power over him again. And it made Angie realize that an honest life may not offer much excitement, but it pays its dividends in freedom. But the freedom she enjoys comes at a high price for her soul. As fabulous as I think Angie is, I would give anything in this world to have that little girl I once knew back. I wish I the world had been allowed to see what that girl could have become." The tears welled up in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. Looking at the door his parents just exited through, he continued, "And it cost my mother and father countless hours in prayer, searching for answers to questions they were always too afraid to ask. It was so hard for them to watch Eddie turn into a stone cold killer, stripped of feeling and robbed of all that was sweet about the little boy who ran carefree though this neighborhood all those years ago."

"He's missing, Mikey." Samantha said gently, watching the color drain from his handsome face.

Mike put his arms up on the bar and buried his face in his hands. Danny, Sam, and Martin just sat there helplessly as they waited for him to process what was happening. Finally, Mike looked at them and asked, "Does she know? Does Angie know he's...missing?"

Danny nodded and Mike swore under his breath. "I'll talk to her. Get her to tell me something. But you've got to help her, Sam. You've got to call in every favor you know to find out what is going on. He was all she had left. I mean, she had us. But it wasn't the same as with Eddie. And if something happened to him, there's no telling what she will do."


	8. Danger in the Dark

**Chapter Eight - Danger in the Dark**

_New York Hospital Staff Parking Lot - Forty Eight Hours Missing_

"So what is the next treatment option?"

Angie shrugged her shoulders and looked helplessly at her friend, Dr. Elizabeth Sheridan, as they walked to their cars at the end of another long day at the hospital. Angie and Liz had started their residency rotations together about 5 years ago but branched out into different fields...Angie broke out into pediatrics while Liz tackled the mysteries of cancer in oncology. They had remained the best of friends and now the case of little Gracie Markum had them working together once more. "I was hoping you could tell me, Liz. I've run every test imaginable on that child and am no closer to finding out what is wrong with her than the day her mother brought her in."

"The results from the latest battery of tests should find it's way up to my desk by tomorrow, so clear some space in your schedule about mid-morning and we'll put our fabulous heads together." Liz put her arm around Angie and Angie in turn laid her head on her friends' shoulder. "But for tonight, let's try something different. Let's leave work at the hospital and concentrate on something else...your love life. Or lack of it."

"Oh good," Angie replied sarcastically, laughing. "let's move from one depressing topic to an even more depressing one!"

"So, are you seeing anyone?"

"Why is that all of you blissfully happy newlyweds always want the rest of the world to be in love?" Angie teased her friend.

"So, that would be a big, fat '**no'**!" Lisa guessed, looking sideways at her friend. "How the hell do you do that? Do you walk around with a bag over your head or something?" Angie just laughed as Lisa continued, "Seriously, Ang. You are super model gorgeous with a body that won't quit and legs to die for. On top of that, we throw in the fact that you are funny, smart, compassionate, and sexy as hell. In fact, if I didn't love you so much I would hate your guts. So, why are you also terminally single?"

"It's one of those great mysteries, Liz." Angie joked. "The pyramids, the meaning of life, and my sex life all rank right up there as the top three puzzles that no one can seem to figure out ."

"What happened to that guy from SoHo? The art gallery owner? He was hot."

"And intense." Angie said. "Too intense."

"Intense can be good. Especially in the bedroom."

"And it was. But the intensity over breakfast, lunch, and every other moment of the day got to be a little much. He always wanted to know 'what was in my soul'." Angie laughed at the memory. "Sometimes you just want to chill out and not examine every little thing. Like what you have with Greg."

"Yes, I did marry the perfect man." Liz mused.

"Says the woman whose marriage isn't even two months old." Angie kidded.

"And your problem has nothing to do with intense...you had your pick of every single guy at our wedding. They were all drooling over you." Liz reminded her. "A room full of gorgeous, chilled out firefighters ready to jump as soon as you said how high and you still went home alone."

Angie shrugged. "I guess I am beyond help."

"Maybe." Liz agreed, with a twinkle in her eyes. "But luckily, you have friends who refuse to give up on you. So, here's the plan. Greg is working the late shift tonight and won't be home until very early tomorrow morning. You will go home and change into your sexiest dress, tousle the hair, sparkle up the make-up and meet us at Club 51 for a night out on the town. We will dance, drink, and flirt like we were back in college."

Angie shook her head. "I don't think so. I'm tired and all I need is..."

"A life!" Liz interrupted with a laugh. "You can't back out. I've already called Cassie and Amy and they are meeting us at the club in about an hour."

"I'm not going to be able to get home to Brooklyn, change for a night out, and then be back in Midtown in an hour."

"That's why you're going to follow me the 18 blocks to our apartment, we are going to raid my closet for something that will look fabulous on you, and we will be at the club in plenty of time." Angie was hesitant, but Liz gave her a playful shove with her shoulder. "Come on, Ang. We haven't had a girls night out in so long! And we deserve one!"

Angie finally conceded and Liz was giddy. "Yeah! Watch out Manhattan...the girls are hitting the town!" Angie had to smile at her friends' excitement as she began to dig her keys out of her purse. "There's my car." Liz said, pointing toward her sedan. "Where are you?"

Angie snorted out a half laugh. "A hundred miles away." She said, sarcastically, pointing down the parking lot. "I hit rush hour traffic on my way in this morning."

"Hop in. I'll give you a ride."

Angie gave Liz a pointed look. "I'm not leaving my car here overnight. How will I get into the city tomorrow morning?"

"Oh yeah." Liz grinned. "Well, I'll meet you at my place. Pull right into the parking garage. There's an empty space next to ours because our neighbors are in Florida for the winter."

Angie nodded and headed on through the parking lot to where her Jeep was parked. She was having trouble locating her keys down at the bottom of her purse, so she was still fumbling around when she walked up to her car. She never saw the shadowy figure leaning against the back of her Jeep.

"Dr. Sullivan, I presume." A familiar voice interrupted the darkness.

Angie looked up, startled, and stood frozen in her tracks. The last sixteen years simply fell away as she stood face to face with her cousin Joey Caruso.

"Do these mopes really buy the fact that you're Irish?" He asked, lighting up a cigarette. The slight glow from the flame of his match shone an eery light on his face. "I mean, you certainly got the Caruso genes. Uncle Pauly's dark hair and eyes. In fact, the only thing Irish about you is your temper."

Regaining her composure, Angie ignored his comments and asked, "What are you doing here, Joey?"

"Making sure that you are okay." He was strangely calm, which made Angie nervous.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Is it wrong for a man to be worried about his cousin?" He asked, grinning menacingly at her in the darkness.

"When you're the man and I'm the cousin, then yes. It is wrong." She met his glare with one of her own. Sounding braver than she was feeling, Angie asked, "What happened to Eddie?"

Joey eyed her suspiciously, took a long drag of his cigarette and asked, "Now why would you ask a question like that?"

Angie knew she had to choose her words carefully. She didn't know exactly what he knew or why he was here. "Word travels fast." She said, not giving away too much. "There are still some people around who know who I used to be. And when the Caruso's main businessman isn't seen in a few days, people get nervous."

Joey shook his head, seemingly satisfied with her answer. "No need for anyone to be nervous. There's been a changing of the guard, that's all."

"Are you the new enforcer?"

"I've always been the _enforcer_, as you put it. It's Eddie's job that has been hard to categorize. He wasn't really the muscle of the operation or the hit man. I guess he always considered himself the brains of the outfit." Joey moved closer to her, which caused Angie to instinctively take a step back. "Has he contacted you?"

_Was_. Joey had referred to Eddie in the past tense. "Is he dead?"

Joey looked at her for a moment, deciding what he should tell her. Finally, he shook his head and said, "I don't know."

He was telling the truth. She knew this man better than she wanted to admit she did. Although he was older than she was, they had played together when she was a child. He had always protected her. Now, he scared the hell out of her. Bravely, she said, "That must be making you a little nervous."

Joey stepped forward again, this time grabbing Angie's arm before she could move away from him. He pulled her close and whispered menacingly through his teeth, "Nothing makes me nervous, Angelina."

Angie knew that wasn't true. What's worse...Joey knew that Angie knew it wasn't true. He lived his life in fear. Fear that all the grief he had heartlessly caused others would some day come back to him. On a day when he least expected it.

"You still get your kicks by threatening women, Joey?" She asked, the pain of his grip throbbing through her arm. "Does it make you feel like more of a man to be able to overpower someone half your size?"

Joey let go of her arm, practically snarling at her in his anger. "You didn't answer my question."

Angie resisted the urge to rub her sore arm. She would not let him see that he hurt her. "Of course he hasn't contacted me. We all know the rules that you and Uncle Tony set up for me. I have always followed them to the letter. That hasn't changed now." She raised her chin slightly in defiance. "I have been a good girl."

Joey regarded her for a moment and Angie thought he actually looked proud of her. "Make sure it stays that way."

"Is that a threat?"

Joey threw his cigarette butt on the ground between their feet and said, "Now Angelina, you know I don't threaten women. Especially not ones who follow the rules." Then he turned and walked back into the darkness of the parking lot.

Never in her life had Angie needed a drink more.


	9. The Power of A Woman

_Well, the end of this chapter gets a little over the top. But I wanted to speed up Danny/Angie romance a little bit. Hope you like it anyway..._

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**Chapter Nine - The Power of a Woman **

_Club 51 in Manhattan - Fifty Two Hours Missing_

"Well, I just did what any self respecting girl would do. I threw my shoe at him." Angie's eyes sparkled as she recounted for her girlfriends a story about the end of yet another one of her past relationships. Of course, the sparkle in her eye was probably the result of the many empty cocktail glasses on the table in front of her. Once Angie had started drinking those sweet, pink concoctions she had found it hard to stop. She had a few sorrows to drown out this night. And she couldn't tell the fabulous women at her table about any of them.

"So, did you hit him?" Angie's friend, Cassie Walker, wanted to know, leaning in closer so that she could hear her story over the music pulsating through the club.

"Of course. With my spiked heel, right in the head." She pointed to a spot on her own head to demonstrate her point. "He probably still has the scar to prove it. So he'll always remember me."

Cassie, Liz and their friend Amy all dissolved into laughter at the look on Angie's face. It was so good to see her happy. "Just a fair warning to all those boys out there...don't piss this woman off." Liz warned through her laughter.

"Speaking of boys," Amy said, taking a sip of her drink and looking slyly at Angie, "I do believe you are being scoped out by that hottie over there." Amy nodded in the direction of a nearby table and all four women turned to look in that direction.

Turning back around, Cassie pretended to fan herself. "Whoo, girl! It's getting hot in here!"

Angie tore her eyes off the man in question and shook her head. "Don't get excited, ladies." She said, her eyes narrowing. "This isn't a scope out. It's a stake out." Angie's friends looked confused, but Angie was beginning to seethe. For sitting on the other side of the room, pretending not to notice her, was Agent Danny Taylor.

_How did he get here_? Danny wondered to himself as he nursed his ginger ale while listening to Martin drone on about something he had lost interest in long ago. The more time he spent in this place, the more things he found to dislike about it. The music was tolerable, but people were packed in like sardines. In the bar, on the dance floor, in the pool hall area. With all of these people, he wondered how this place could still lack soul. He sighed and looked back at Martin. He had wanted to come here after work to take the edge off. Something was going on, again, in his relationship with Samantha. Danny suspected it had something to do with her flirtation with Mike Sullivan but he wasn't asking any questions. So, when Martin had asked him to join him for a drink, Danny had decided to join his friend. He owed him that much. But Danny had wanted to leave almost as soon as he arrived, until he saw Angie Sullivan walk through the door.

From the moment she had walked in with her three friends, Angie had captured the full attention of every man in the room. Of course, the low cut jeans, eye popping black tank top, and the tousled hair-do she sported probably had a something to do with that. It was a far cry from the well put together doctor and the half asleep woman in her pajamas Danny had seen on their last two meetings. But Danny knew it was more than just her outfit. There was something in the way she walked, in the way she had downed too many drinks too quickly, and laughed in an over animated way with her friends. Something was wrong and she was trying very hard to cover it up or drown it in alcohol. Something that he hadn't sensed about her before. And in a strange, twisted way it made her sexier than ever. Danny couldn't take his eyes off her.

She was no longer sitting at her table and Danny's eyes scanned the crowd until he found her. She was easy enough to spot, her hair sparkling under the neon lights. Some guys had challenged her to a game of pool and she was about to take them up on their challenge. He chuckled to himself. If those men only knew that they were about to play against a woman who grew up in the Caruso crime family and probably learned a few tricks along the way, they would just hand their money over to her now and save themselves the humiliation.

"She is beautiful, isn't she?" Martin's voice suddenly invaded Danny's private thoughts.

"Hmmm?" Danny looked over at him, not realizing that he had just been caught wearing his thoughts on his face.

"Oh come on now. We're too old for that kind of nonsense." Martin took another swig of his drink, the challenge to Danny in his voice. "Angie Sullivan...Caruso...whatever the hell her name is, is gorgeous. Be a man and admit that you've noticed. You'd have to be dead not to."

"I'm surprised that we came here tonight, Martin." Danny said, changing the subject and refusing Martin's challenge. "This doesn't seem to be your kind of place."

Martin smiled slyly and continued. "I'm a complex guy, Danny. There are many things you don't know about me." Martin glanced around the room and then said, "There are always plenty of beautiful women in here. Besides, I would think you would be glad that I dragged you in here. Did I mention that Angie is a beautiful girl?"

"Yes, I believe you did." Danny raised an eyebrow as he grinned at his friend and took another sip of his ginger-ale. He and Martin had gotten off to a rocky start, but he had come to really like his fellow agent. Now he was beginning to understand why.

"She's got some serious baggage, though." Martin remarked.

"Some of it's pretty familiar to me." Danny said, watching Angie line up her next pool shot.

Martin went in for the kill. "You should take the lead on this case, then. Use your common ground to get her to talk to us."

Martin's eyes were twinkling with mischief and Danny couldn't help but smile. "Are you telling me how to do my job?"

"No, I'm telling you how to get the girl. The girl you haven't taken your eyes off of all evening."

Danny lowered his voice, even though their conversation couldn't be heard above the loud music. "What makes you think I need you to tell me how to get the girl?"

"Well, the fact that you have been sitting here all night staring at her instead of going to talk to her seems to be an indication." Martin replied, almost smugly.

Danny shook his head. "Do you know how much trouble I could get in for even thinking about getting involved with her?"

Martin grinned and said, "About as much trouble as I could get in for being involved with Sam. But you've got to admit, the danger of getting caught is part of the fun." Martin took another sip of his drink and then said, "Although the very real danger that you could get whacked may be a cause for concern."

"I was actually thinking more along the lines of getting fired, but thanks for bringing that up." Danny replied, glancing again at Angie, who was collecting her winnings from the very embarrassed guys she had played pool with. "Besides, I don't need your advice to get the girl. I can do just fine on my own." Danny raised his glass to Martin's meddling ways and finished off his drink.

"Yeah, well you may just get the chance to prove it." Martin said, nodding in the direction behind Danny. He looked up to see Angie making her way over to him.

"Are you following me, Agent Taylor?" Angie demanded, standing over their table with her hands on her hips and a pissed off look on her face.

Danny quickly shook his head and stood up so that he was level with her. "Ah...no. We're just a couple of guys," Danny motioned to Martin, "having a drink."

"We come here all the time." Martin said, unable to hide the smirk on his face.

Ignoring Martin completely, Angie did something next that shocked the hell out of all three of them. "Prove it." She said, lacing her fingers through Danny's and moving her body closer to his. He could smell the alcohol on her breath, but knew that wasn't what was making him dizzy. "Dance with me." She whispered sexily into his ear.

"I don't dance," he grinned down at her, putting his arms around her to steady her. Angie Sullivan had obviously had a bad day and way too much to drink. "Especially to this." When she twisted her beautiful features into a fake pout, he said, "I've got no rhythm."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" She whispered, seductively. "You want to protect me so badly, Agent Taylor. Well, here's your chance."

"I thought I asked you to call me Danny." He said quietly, locking eyes with her.

Again she was in his ear, whispering, "Dance with me, _Danny_."

Danny was not sure if it was her hot breath in his ear, the sexy tone of her voice, the scent of her perfume, or the feel of her body pressed up against his that caused him to do what he did next. But something silenced the nagging negativity in his head and he found himself following her out to the dance floor. Ah, the power of a woman.


	10. The Lonely Hearts Club

Thanks so much to anmodo, Andraya, Lyssanick, rozzy07, and Morfeo for your reviews! I am so happy you are enjoying this story!

I have to confess that even though I started **Pictures of You** first, it has taken a back seat to this story because the ideas for this case are just flowing out of me right now! But I have an outline done for **Pictures** and will get back to that poor, neglected story soon!

Hopefully, this chapter shows why Angie and Danny are perfect for each other. A little flirting, a little fighting, a little common ground, and a little romance. I hope you enjoy it!

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**Chapter 10 - The Lonely Hearts Club**

_Angie Sullivan's Brooklyn Brownstone - Fifty Three Hours Missing_

Danny climbed the steps outside of Angie's brownstone two at a time, careful not to fall on his face in the darkness. Shaking her head, Angie walked up behind him. He turned to face her and held out his hand. "Keys?" He asked, motioning for her to give him the keys to her house.

"I can open my own door." She muttered but handed the keys over to him.

"Really?" Danny asked, raising his eyebrow at her. "Because if I remember correctly, you had a little trouble getting yourself out of the car. The door handle is much larger than your keyhole here, and..."

"Just open the door and don't rub it in." She said, waving him off. He smirked and turned around to open her front door. As she watched him, Angie said, "Cassie or Liz could have gotten me home. You didn't have to drive all the way out to Brooklyn."

Danny opened the front door to her house and stepped inside. Looking back at her, he said, "Your friends seemed to think that you might be safer with the Feds."

"That's because they don't know who I really am." Angie muttered, brushing past him into her front entry way. She looked back at him and added, "And don't kid yourself. They didn't want me to be safe. They wanted me to get laid."

Danny smirked, closed the door and followed her into the living room. "That sounds promising for me." He flopped down on her sofa and grinned up at her.

"Make yourself right at home, why don't you?" She muttered, moving one of her many throw pillows and sitting down next to him. She gave him a serious look and said, "I don't put out on the first date."

Teasingly, Danny put his arm around her and said, "Well, then I guess it's lucky for me that this is not a first date."

Angie resisted the urge to snuggle closer to him and simply leaned her head back, trapping his arm between her neck and the couch. "I'd offer you some coffee but, believe it or not, I have to be at work tomorrow. If I drank coffee now, I'd be completely useless by mid-morning."

"You know, I've been here twice now and you've come up with a reason not to offer me coffee both times." Danny observed, liking the feeling of her head resting on his arm.

"If you really want coffee, there is an all night convenience store down the street."

"If I go, will you let me back in?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at her.

"Nope." Angie grinned, turning her head to look at him.

"Then I don't want coffee."

"What do you want?" She asked quietly.

"To be your friend." He answered, just as quietly.

Angie laughed quietly. "Liar." She said, lifting her head off his arm. "You want me to help make your job easier so that you can find my brother. And, since you're a guy, you also want a little action." She sat up and turned back to look at him, adding, "You're not getting either one."

"I know there are probably not a lot of people in your life who tell you this, so let me be the first." Danny said, sitting up so that they were face to face again. "You're wrong."

"About what?"

"Me." He said gently.

Their eyes locked for a few seconds and it was Angie who was the first to look away. "I don't need any more friends." She said, standing up suddenly. She removed the leather jacket she had been wearing over her tank top and turned to hang it up in the hallway closet. But not before Danny saw the bruise that was swelling up on her arm.

"What the hell...?" He asked, getting up off the couch and moving closer to her. He took her arm tenderly in his hands and inspected the bruise further.

But Angie pulled her arm away before he could see anything. "Don't, Danny." She warned, meeting his eyes again.

"Where did that come from?" He wanted to know.

"I've had it all evening. You just couldn't see it under the lights in the club." She looked down at her arm and then back up at Danny. "It looks worse than it really is."

"You didn't answer my question." Danny said, taking the jacket from her and throwing it on the sofa.

"Which question was that?" Angie asked.

Danny was having none of it. Resisting the urge to grab her himself and shake her, Danny swore under his breath. "Damn it, Angie! Stop playing coy! It's not as cute as you think it is! Be straight with me!"

"Why?" She demanded. "Why should I trust you?"

"Because I can help you!" He shouted back at her. Realizing that tears were forming in her eyes, Danny lowered his voice and said, "Let me help you."

Angie shook her head, not bothering to wipe her tears away. Allowing them to fall onto her cheeks, she whispered, "You can't help me. No one can."

"How do you know if you won't let me try?"

Angie looked at him for a few moments and then sat back down on the couch. She propped her elbows up on her knees and rested her head in her hands. "My cousin, Joey, came to see me tonight. Joey Caruso. After sixteen years, he just showed up."

Danny sat down on the couch next to her. "Tell me what happened."

Never looking up at him, Angie laughed a short little laugh and shook her head. "I'm not that drunk." Danny waited for a few moments and finally Angie looked at him, tears still running down her cheeks, and said, "The Caruso's don't have Eddie. They don't know where he is."

"And you believed him?"

Angie nodded her head, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "I know this man. Joey and I grew up together. For a gangster, he's a lousy liar."

"He did this to you?" Danny asked, gingerly touching the bruise on her arm.

"Because I mouthed off a little." Angie looked pleadingly at Danny and asked, "Do you see now why I can't tell you what I know? This isn't a game. Whether I like it or not, this is who I am, this is my family and what we are. I cannot change that, even though I've wished many times I could."

"Don't group yourself in with them." Danny said, anger welling up inside him for the Caruso boys. To damage the spirit of such a woman for selfish gain was the essence of cowardice. Danny got up and walked into the kitchen. He filled a dishtowel with ice and brought it back into the living room, gently pressing it to the bruise on her arm. He grinned at her and asked, "How about the doctor letting someone else take care of her for awhile?"

"I've been taking care of myself for a long time now." Angie said quietly. "I'm not sure I know how to let someone else do it."

"Allow me to show you." Danny said, moving back to the end of the couch and pulling her close to him. He somehow managed to keep his home-ade ice pack on her arm. Once she was nestled close to him, they both leaned back against the sofa cushions. "How's that?"

Angie breathed in the masculine scent of him and nodded. "You have a pretty good bedside manner." They were silent for a little while before Angie finally said, "If Joey and Uncle Tony don't know where he is and Theresa doesn't know where he is and you guys don't know where he is, then that means my brother is really gone. I never imagined that was possible. I mean, I know what he did was dangerous. But he just seemed indestructible." Her voice broke and a fresh batch of tears began to fall. "I would always be okay as long as I could talk to Eddie. I wasn't really alone as long as he was out there somewhere. And now he's really gone."

Angie's body shook with the sobs that overtook her and Danny knew there were no words to say that would make it alright. So he just held her and let her cry. When her sobs had subsided, she asked quietly, "You told me that you knew about loneliness. I told you some of my sad story, so now it's your turn."

"You didn't tell me everything." He reminded her.

Angie looked up at him and asked, "You're really going to argue with me? In this my hour of vulnerability?"

Danny chuckled and brushed a stray hair out of her face. "For a woman who hasn't been vulnerable too often in her life, you learn the lingo quickly."

"I've always been too smart for my own good." She told him, a smile creeping onto her lips. Danny was glad to see her smile again. "Spill it, Taylor. How much do you and I really have in common?"

"Too much." He said and the grin left his face. Angie looked at him for another moment and reached up to stroke his cheek. Danny caught her hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss. "I lost my family, too." Angie laid her head on his chest as Danny recounted the events of his youth for her. His parents, his brother, the foster homes, the loneliness. He told her things he hadn't ever told anyone before. And as he spoke, he kept pulling her close. Together in the darkness of her living room, they held onto each other like two lifelines in a storm.

Angie finally looked up at him and moved so that her face was just inches from his. "Loneliness is a powerful thing for two people to have in common." She said, her fingers wandering over his jawline and the beginning of a beard that was growing there. She looked into his eyes and whispered, "I don't want to be lonely anymore. Do you, Danny?"

Danny's mouth was against her collarbone before she even finished her question. He traced a path up her neck, covering it with sweet kisses until she gasped. Angie's lips parted immediately when they met his and she tasted the masculine sweetness of him. Danny watched her eyelids flutter closed as his hand on her shoulder drew up into the curve of her throat, warm around the nape of her neck. His tongue met hers halfway and they kissed until she couldn't remember anything outside of this; the soft scratch of his stubbled beard, his wandering touch, the feel of his shoulders under her hands. But mostly she felt his mouth and hers and the many ways they could fit together, the taste of him on her tongue.

Danny finally drew back for breath, and she opened her eyes. "I could get in serious trouble for this." he whispered.

"Then maybe you should go." She whispered back, her voice low and intimate.

"Maybe I should..." he began, but she stopped his words with another lengthy kiss.

"I told you that I don't put out on the first date." she whispered against his lips when they drew apart again.

He lifted his head a little, and their lips brushed again. His other hand was on her waist, easing down to her hip. "It's a good thing that this isn't a date." he grinned against her lips, before capturing them again with his own.

Angie let herself sink back into his kiss, let her eyelids slide closed. His mouth was hot and slick and he tasted faintly of ginger from the ginger ales he drank earlier. She'd never liked it much, but second-hand, chased off his tongue, it was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

They fell asleep that way, entwined in each other's arms on her couch. She kept her promise and didn't put out, but what they shared was more intimate than any sexual encounter. For one night, their two lonely hearts had found comfort.


	11. Girl Talk

**Chapter Eleven - Girl Talk**

_New York Hospital Emergency Room - Sixty Four Hours Missing_

"You look like hell."

Angie looked up from her paperwork to see Liz coming toward her with a large, satisfied smile on her face. Angie just shook her head and pulled the hair that was falling in her face behind her ear. "Thanks."

"Seriously, you look like hell." Liz repeated, grinning like a chesire cat. "No make-up, bags under the eyes, pasty skin. Rough night?"

"Don't start with me." Angie warned. "I was a little hung over this morning and you know it."

"Is that why you are avoiding me, woman? Because I missed you up in my office this morning for the consult on Gracie Markum." Liz sidled up next to her friend and leaned on the counter around the nurse's station. "And now I've spent the last half an hour tracking you through the hospital. The pediatric girls on your floor said you went up to X-ray, and then the X-ray techs said you had gone to see Dr. Andrews about a surgical consult. Dr. Andrews secretary said she hadn't seen you, but an orderly heard you tell someone that you were headed down here to emergency. Are we having trouble staying in one place today?"

"I've been _busy_." Angie answered, looking back down at her paperwork and continued talking. "I missed our consult because I had an emergency come in and needed to see the X-rays before consulting with Dr. Andrews. Why is it that surgeons want to cut everyone open before discussing other medical options?"

Liz shrugged and looked over Angie's shoulder at her notes. "That's how they get their kicks." When Angie finished writing, Liz continued, "I've got Gracie's test results right here. Want to go over them now?"

Angie handed the paperwork to the admitting nurse at the desk and smiled. Turning to Liz, she said, "All my notes are up in my office. Can we talk there?"

"Sure," Liz answered. "But can we stop at the cafeteria first for some lunch? I'm starving and I hear they're serving Chicken Divine today."

"Sounds good." Angie agreed, turning away from the desk and falling into step with Liz. "I'm a little famished myself."

"And on the way, you can tell me all about your evening with F.B.I. boy." Liz grinned. "I noticed you were a little late for work this morning."

"I had to drop him off. We drove my car home last night remember?"

"So he stayed the night?" Liz asked, a mischievous little smile on her face. "Did he have as much rhythm in the bedroom as he did on the dance floor?"

Angie laughed. "I don't know. We never made it off the couch."

"Hot!" Liz exclaimed, hitting the button for the elevator. "You know what they say about those sexy, latin lovers!"

Angie shook her head. "Don't get too excited. Nothing happened. Nothing sexual, anyway. Just a little kissing." Angie paused and grinned. "A little fabulous kissing."

Before either woman could say any more, commotion broke out down the hall as the outside doors to the ER flew open. Paramedics and police came rushing in with a gurney and the quiet emergency room flew into action.

"What's going on?" Liz asked an orderly who was rushing past.

"Gunshot wound to the stomach. Word is it's a mob hit." He shouted, continuing down the hall to get in on the action.

"How do you know that?" Angie asked.

A nurse, who was busy collecting supplies from a nearby supply closet, said, "Haven't you heard? It came over the radio wire...the victim is Theresa Caruso. You know, wife of mafia hitman Eddie Caruso. Sounds like she's been iced."

Angie felt her heart drop into her stomach. "Oh God," she said quietly, "she didn't follow the rules."


	12. Confessions of a Mafia Princess

_O.K. - I'm finally revealing some secrets in this chapter! But the big secret is yet to come! Stay tuned..._

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**Chapter Twelve - Confessions of a Mafia Princess**

_F.B.I. Headquarters, Missing Persons Division - Sixty Eight Hours Missing_

"Try not to fall asleep at your desk when Jack is watching, hmm?"

Danny picked his head up off his desk and blinked twice as Martin's face came into focus. He was getting too much enjoyment out of Danny's misery. "Just so you know, I blame you." Danny mumbled.

Martin held his hands up in mock surrender. "I didn't tell you to go home with Angie."

"Actually," Danny said, rubbing his eyes. "I believe you thought it was a fabulous idea when her friend brought it up. And you _are _the reason we were there in the first place."

"Reason you were where?" Sam asked, coming up to Danny's desk with some files for him to go over. Looking at his face, she said, "You look like hell."

Martin laughed as Danny shook his head. "I didn't get much sleep last night." He said, glaring at Martin.

"Am I missing something here?" Sam asked, looking back and forth between the two men.

"Could be. You and Viv have been gone mostly all day. Where have you been?" Danny asked, changing the subject and thumbing through the files she had laid on his desk.

"Running into dead ends." Sam said, rubbing her temples. "Guys, I don't know how we are going to work this Caruso case with what we have now. There is no way to talk to anyone without tipping off Tony and Joey Caruso. We're going to have to raise the heat under Angie Sullivan."

"Or not." Martin said, looking past Sam to the entrance to the bullpen. Mike and Angie Sullivan, accompanied by Eddie Caruso's kids, were walking through the double glass doors.

Danny stood up, but hung back when Jack greeted the pair outside his office. He called Vivian over and she spent a few moments talking to Angie, who was visibly upset. Vivian led Angie and the kids back out into the hallway as Jack approached the agents with Mike Sullivan at his side.

"I believe you three are already acquainted with Detective Mike Sullivan." Jack told them, gesturing to Mike. "He and his cousin are here to shed some light on our case."

"What brought about the change of heart?" Martin asked, eyeing Danny. Danny remained stone faced as he watched what was unfolding.

"Joey Caruso paid Angie a visit last night. And about two hours ago, Theresa Caruso was shot." Mike said. "Angie is freaked. I met her at the hospital and all she could think about was getting to Little Eddie and Rose. Once we got them, she said she wanted to come here."

"How's Theresa doing?" Samantha asked.

"She was still in surgery when we left. She lost a lot of blood and the bullet tore apart her insides. Angie couldn't get any more information without revealing who she was, so we're going to try and call the precinct in a few hours. See if I can talk to any of the cops on the scene."

"What did Joey Caruso have to say?" Jack asked, watching Martin watch Danny. Something was up.

Mike shook his head and said, "He told Angie that they didn't know where Eddie was. She believes him, but..."

"You're not so sure." Jack finished for him. "Why did he contact her?"

Mike shrugged. "Angie keeps saying something about wanting to make sure she was still following the rules. I'll let her tell you about it."

The group turned to look at where Vivian had re-entered the bullpen with Angie. Danny and Angie made it a point not to make eye contact, but he could tell she was shaken.

"I set Little Ed up with some toys in the lounge and Margie is watching over them while we talk." Vivian said, putting her hand on Angie's arm. "They should be just fine."

Angie looked like she wasn't so sure, but smiled her thanks at Vivian anyway. Casting one short look at Danny, she let Jack and Sam lead her into the interrogation room. At first Jack was hesitant about letting Mike come, but realized that Angie would be more comfortable with him in there. Martin, Vivian, and Danny took their places outside the two way mirror and watched the scene with keen interest.

"I want you to know," Jack began, "that you will be granted full immunity for anything..."

Angie shook her head. "I haven't done anything wrong. I mean, illegal or anything. I just..." Angie fumbled with her words and looked to Mike, who covered her hand with his own. "I don't have anywhere else to go."

"It's time to stop running, Ms. Sullivan. Let us help you find out what happened to your brother." Jack said, gently.

Angie laughed a dry, little laugh and looked from Jack over to Sam. "You people keep saying that. That you're going to help me. But the Caruso crime family has been in business for generations and keeps growing in size and power. The F.B.I has done nothing to stop them. Why should I believe that is going to change now?"

Jack looked away with no answers for her as Mike said, "Ang, they're just trying to help..."

But Angie continued despite her cousin's protests. Angie Sullivan didn't handle fear well and reacted by lashing out like a cat backed up against the wall. "If my sister-in-law hadn't come to you for help, you probably wouldn't even know that Eddie was missing. Or care. You would have chalked him up to being just another dead gangster."

"Your brother lived a dangerous life, Dr. Sullivan. And he knew the risks." Sam jumped in. "As of right now, he is a suspect in more than five unsolved homicides."

"I know what he is!" Angie spat out, glaring at Samantha. "And I know what he was. It's not about any of that."

"What is it about?" Jack wanted to know.

Angie lowered her voice and focused her attention back on Jack. "He's my brother. Before he was anything else, he was just my brother. And I loved him. So, when we got together it was easy to forget who he'd become and only remember who he was. I never asked about his business, and he never wanted me to. He just wanted to hear stories from the hospital and my life. We accepted each other for what we were, no demands made." Angie looked down at her hands and Danny could tell through the window that she was trying not to cry. "We have been through too much to try to force change on each other. We know that the path not taken is always the ideal road. He simply took the road that seemed right at the moment."

"Angie," Jack said, gently, "I know that he's your brother. But in the world we live in here in the F.B.I., he stands for everything we fight against every day. Trying to convince us of his inherent goodness..."

"He's not like the rest of them." Angie said, letting go of Mike's hand and looking up at Jack. "He didn't want to be the cold hearted killer that he became. I know he didn't. But he never had a choice. And that's my fault."

Jack and Sam exchanged the same look inside the interrogation room that Martin and Danny did on the other side of the window. Danny shrugged as he heard Jack say, "What do you mean?"

"You are all working from the assumption that I somehow escaped from my family and all that they stood for. But that's not what happened." Angie said, looking pointedly at Sam. "They let me go."

"In exchange for what?" Jack asked quietly.

Angie met his stare head on and in a calm voice said, "My brother's soul." Without batting an eyelash or dropping Jack's gaze, Angie continued, "You don't just leave the Caruso family, Agent Malone, unless you are in a body bag. Because the things I saw there, the things I knew, were unspeakable. I wanted out of that house so badly that I could barely breathe. I was dying inside. And after my mother died, I knew I couldn't stay any longer."

"But leaving wasn't so easy, was it?"

"There were things I knew that they never wanted told. But my parents were both dead and my Uncle Frank was my legal guardian. The Caruso's had no power to keep me there. They had to let me go. So they used the only thing they had to buy my silence...Eddie's life. In order for me to be able to leave, Eddie had to stay and learn all they had to teach him. He had to take my father's place in the organization." Angie paused, taking a sip of the water that they had put down in front of her. "And he did. He learned well. And became the monster they always wanted him to be. And that way, if I ever told anyone, Eddie would be taken down with them."

"Tactics of terror." Martin said, shaking his head.

"They terrified her." Danny whispered, watching Angie's face closely through the glass. He wanted to be there to offer her support, but he knew that wasn't possible. So he remained rooted to his spot.

"What about the rules?" Jack asked.

Angie looked down at the table, and said, "They told me that severing the ties meant severing all ties...even with Eddie. I couldn't contact any of them ever again. I thought I could handle that, but I missed him so much. I knew that to break the rules meant risking Eddie's life and I couldn't do that. Then one day, he showed up at school. And it was so good to see him. And we've been meeting in secret ever since." Angie finally looked over at Mike, shame written all over her face. The tears were beginning to form in her eyes as she told him, "I should never have let him do that for me. Things could have been different, I know that now. We could have chosen to just stay at the compound until we were of legal age and then Eddie could have made his own choices about what he wanted to do. He had less than a year before he was eighteen. But I was so scared and I couldn't wait three more years. All I could think of was getting out of there." She clutched Mike's hand and whispered, " I had a chance to save myself and I ran. I'm sorry that I was so selfish."

"No," Mike said, shaking his head. "Don't you dare apologize, Ang." Mike put his finger under Angie's chin and tipped her face up to look at his. Gently, he told her, "He had a mind of his own. He saw a chance to protect you and he did what he had to do. I don't know much about what happened, but I do know Eddie. And I'm pretty sure that if he had it to do over again, he would do it all again in a heartbeat."

"I left him there, Mikey." Angie said, the tears beginning to fall down her cheeks. "To live a life that he could never be proud of. It's my fault. All of it. He did the things he did so that I could have a normal life and they would leave me alone. Everything he's done, every life that he's taken...it's all my fault."

"You were fifteen..." Mike began, but was interrupted by Jack

"And you were scared." Jack said, quietly. "Anyone who was in your situation would have done the same thing. And I'm sure that anyone who loved you would do the same thing your brother did. He did what he felt he had to do to save you."

Sensing some understanding in Jack's tone, Angie looked back at him and said quietly, "He's not what you think." Jack nodded and Angie wiped away her tears before continuing, "He was getting out. He told me the last time we saw each other. He'd finally had enough. He couldn't even look at himself in the mirror anymore. And he wasn't going to do to his children what our parents had done to us. He wasn't going to let them know the things we know."

"No child should ever know what you must know." Sam said, echoing Danny's thoughts exactly.

"How?" Jack asked. "How was he planning to get out?"

"I don't know." Angie shook her head. "He wouldn't tell me. But something must have happened. Because he never would have done anything without Theresa and the kids.

"Something must have gone terribly wrong." Danny said to Martin, never taking his eyes off of Angie in the interrogation room. "Because now he's missing and his wife is in the hospital with a bullet in her belly."

"Angie," Jack was saying, "telling us what you have been keeping inside can't hurt Eddie now. It may even be able to help find out what happened to him. Please, tell us what happened in that house."

They were in there for over an hour as Angie recounted for them things that no child should ever have knowledge of, conversations no little girl should ever have overheard. She recalled names of people the agents knew would turn up in their files as dead or missing. Locations of mob burial sites. Memories, that if they could be substantiated, could bring down the Caruso family.

As they were nearing the end, Mike Sullivan excused himself to go get a drink. Once out in the hallway, he pounded his fist against the office wall so hard that the furniture shook. "That never should have happened. We should have known. They should have never gone back to that house." He said angrily. "No one should ever have had to live that way. Especially not her." Turning to face Danny, Martin and Vivian they could see that tough supercop Mike Sullivan had tears in his eyes. "We couldn't even help them." He whispered. "We never knew."

Vivian followed Mike down the hall, trying to console him. Danny and Martin looked at each other and said nothing. There was nothing to say. The situation was so far beyond what they had expected.

Jack came out into the viewing room and looked back through the window at Sam and Angie, who were still talking. "Girl talk." He said with a smile on his face that told them that none of this was funny. "Did you get all that?"

Martin and Danny nodded simultaneously as Martin said, "Intense, huh?"

"There's more." Jack said simply. "There's something she's still not telling us."

"I don't know, Jack." Martin said, while Danny remained silent as he watched Angie through the glass. "You heard her. How much more could there possibly be?"

"Something. Something big." Jack said, looking at Danny. "Find out what."


	13. Don't Shut Me Out

_**anmodo** - Here is a small conversation between Danny and Angie. But actually the secret is going to be revealed in a conversation with someone else! Can you guess who?_

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**Chapter Thirteen - Don't Shut Me Out**

Danny was silent as he handed Angie a cup of coffee. "It's not great, but it's hot."

Angie turned around and accepted his offering with a sad smile on her face. "So, we finally get to share that elusive cup of coffee, hmm?"

Danny smiled and rubbed her shoulders. "It's not exactly what I imagined, but I'll take what I can get."

Angie took a sip of the hot liquid and looked back over at her niece and nephew, playing with Vivian and Martin on the floor of the staff lounge. "Look what I've done." She whispered sadly. "I wasn't an orphan until I was fifteen. My parents weren't perfect, but at least they were alive until I..."

"They're not orphans yet, Angie." Danny said quietly, not wanting her to continue that line of thinking. "Mike said Theresa is still hanging on and we don't know what happened to Eddie.**"**

"How do you do that?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the children. "Stay positive when you do what you do?"

"I've seen families who have given up all hope reunited with their missing loved ones more times than you would think. You don't forget that feeling and you carry it with you when the case gets tough."

Angie swirled her coffee around in her cup, avoiding his eyes. "I need something stronger."

"That didn't work too well for you last night." Danny said with a smirk.

"Actually, I didn't think last night turned out that bad at all." She finally met his eyes and smiled.

Their gazes held for a few moments before Danny said, "Angie, I..."

Angie shook her head and cut him off. "Don't, Danny. Don't say anything, ok? There's just too much and I don't have the strength to deal with what happens next. What happened in there is..."

It was Danny's turn to interrupt her this time. Softly, he said, "I don't want to be something that you have to deal with. Don't shut me out."

Angie looked up at him, searching his eyes. "After everything you've heard, you still want to be part of my life? Part of this nightmare that I was born into? I didn't have a choice, Danny. You do."

"And I'm making that choice right now." Danny glanced around to see if anyone was looking at them. When he was sure no one was, he pulled her close for a quick kiss on the lips. "Come on, let me take you home."

Angie was quiet for a moment. "Actually, Mikey is going to take the kids over to my place. Would you do me another favor?"

"Name it."

"Take me back to the hospital. I need to see Theresa."


	14. Bedside Vigil

**Chapter Fourteen - **

_New York Hospital: Theresa Caruso's Hospital Room_ - _Seventy One Hours Missing_

The ICU unit was deserted when Angie and Danny made their way up to Theresa's room. "I don't understand why we are being so secretive about this." Danny mumbled, shaking his head. "You're a doctor."

"I'm a pediatrician, Danny. Theresa is well over the age of my usual patients. And if anyone found me in her room, I'd have to explain why I am at Theresa Caruso's bedside. I don't think I can do that without revealing who I really am." Danny nodded and Angie said, "Just watch the door for me, ok?"

Angie took a deep breath as she entered the hospital room. Theresa's beautiful features looked so pale. She glanced quickly at the monitors to check Theresa's vitals. Even though she could hear the rhythmic beeping, she still needed to reassure herself that Theresa was simply sleeping.

Angie pulled up a chair beside Theresa's bed and squeezed her hand hoping for a sign, but it was lifeless. Angie wanted to kill the bastards that did this. If she could, she would strangle them with her bare hands. "Theresa, I don't know if you can hear me but it's Angie. I'm right here. The kids are fine. They're with Mikey and you know they can stay with me until you are up and around again." _Please God, let her be up and around again_, Angie prayed silently.

Angie realized suddenly that it had been a long time since she last talked to God. Rose had always made sure that she and Eddie were in church every Sunday like good little Catholics. But Angie was sure that God had turned His back on her as a child and so she stopped going to church. The things she thought she knew, turned out to be things she never knew in the first place.

Fear, not God, seemed to be the only answer in Angie's life most of the time.But then again, fear was the answer to a lot of life's greatest mysteries. Fear of change, fear of death, fear of finding out who you really are. Fear became her best friend because it was constant, comforting. And in the end, Angie had learned that her fears were well-founded, but not productive. Being afraid of something wasn't going to stop it from happening. And somehow she didn't find that thought very comforting.

Pulling her thoughts together, Angie reverted to doctor mode. She pulled Theresa's chart out of the rack at the end of her bed. "The doctors are really pleased with your progress. For someone who took a bullet to the stomach, you are doing remarkably well." Angie closed the chart and looked back at her sister-in-law. "Now you just need to wake up. You'll be groggy, confused, and in a lot of pain, but we've got good drugs for that." She slipped her hand through Theresa's again and whispered, "Now just wake up. We can't let them win this one."

Angie took a quick look back at the door and saw Danny through the window, keeping guard for her, and smiled. Looking back at Theresa, she said, "Can you believe that in the middle of all of this, I've met a guy. A Federal Agent. Can you believe it?" Angie laughed and smoothed Theresa's dark hair off her forehead. She was quiet for a moment before she hung her head and whispered into the darkness, "You've got to wake up, T. I'm screwing everything up. Do you know where I was today? At F.B.I headquarters confessing my scared, little ass off." Angie laughed a bitter laugh. "I confessed to the Feds and the other night I almost slept with one. What the hell is going on here?"

Angie stood up and walked to the window, looking out over the city that she loved so dearly. New York City was so beautiful at this time of day...the evening sky was an amazing contrast to the sparkling lights of the city that were beginning to light up the night. Thinking of Danny and his co-workers, she whispered, "I know they mean well, but I don't think they can help us. We need to beat Joey and Uncle Tony at their own sick game." She looked back at Theresa's lifeless form, a new determination in her eyes, and said, "There's only one person who can help us now."


	15. Safe In the Arms of Danger

_Well, I wasn't going to post this chapter tonight...but I just couldn't wait. The BIG secret is revealed in the last line. But don't cheat and read that first! Read the whole chapter...I'm pretty proud of it!_

_King Benny finally makes an appearance in this chapter. As I said before, I borrowed the character from the movie Sleepers. I also based parts of the conversation on some scenes in the movie._

_PLEASE let me know what you think of this chapter. Things have been leading up to this. _

_There is still one secret left to be revealed. It's not Angie's secret, but someone else's! Some of you may have figured it out by now, but there is more to come! Enjoy..._

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****Chapter Fifteen - Safe in the Arms of Danger**

_Benny's Fish Market, Hell's Kitchen: Eighty Seven Hours Missing_

Angie walked through the streets of Hell's Kitchen and looked around at what her former neighborhood had become. Things were still very much the same, yet so much was different. The buildings she remembered so fondly were still standing - St. Mary's Church where they attended mass each Sunday was still on the corner, while their elementary school, Holy Cross Parochial, still loomed large on West 43rd Street, and the various small businesses they frequented as children still dotted the side streets. But the buildings were showing signs of neglect and decay as the escalating crime and poverty in the area forced the former shopkeepers to relocate. At last, Angie turned the corner and saw the only building she would ever come back here for...Benny's Fish Market. King Benny still ran a small piece of Hell's Kitchen, working out of the same dark room he had when Angie had first met him.

To raise a child in Hell's Kitchen was to live in the valley of the shadow of the gun. Poverty and unemployment, in and of themselves, aren't necessarily dangerous, but there were always too many guns and drug dealers in the neighborhood. So most parents put their trust in King Benny, the biggest eyes and ears in Hell's Kitchen, when it came to protecting their children. Even those parents who despised his occupation, like Frank Sullivan, respected his devotion to keeping the children of the neighborhood safe. King Benny used diplomacy when called for and force when necessary. He earned his money from old fashioned mob enterprises - loan sharking, numbers running, drug trafficking, and truck hijacking. King Benny ruled with a tight fist and lashed out with a deadly purpose against any threat to his domain. And Hell's Kitchen was his domain.

He would do favors for those he liked and ignored those he considered liabilities. He would listen to people's problems and offer opinions on how those problems could be solved. He was a father without a conscience. His decisions were never rash and always final. In Hell's Kitchen, his words were respected as law. And it was the only law that was never broken.

The back room of King Benny's fish market was a foul smelling room that was like a second home to Angie when she lived in Hell's Kitchen. Like a library was for some, it became a place to escape the harshness of life. It was a strange escape into the quiet company of the single most dangerous man in Hell's Kitchen.

Pausing in the doorway, Angie watched the old man for a moment. He was the one thing in this neighborhood that never changed. His hair was a bit grayer at the temples and there were a few more lines in his forehead, but other than that he was the same man she had always been intrigued by.

"Don't hover, Mary Angelina. If you are going to come in, then come all the way and sit with me. Let's play."

His voice was still the same as she remembered also...low and gravelly, with a thick Italian accent that was unlike any she had grown up with. It was comforting, in a strange way, but she also knew that at times it could scare the life out of his enemies. As she did when she was a child, Angie obeyed King Benny's command and moved forward.

The large room was wrapped in darkness and Italian love songs played from a juke box on a far wall. Three men dressed in black jackets and black sport shirts sat a table in the corner playing cards. None of them spoke, but they let their eyes wander all over Angie as she made her way to the back of the room.

King Benny calmly shuffled the cards in front of him, a large espresso cup to his left and the shades of a nearby window drawn to block out the mid-day sun. Angie sat down across the table from him, as she had so many times when she was a child, and waited for the game to begin. She took a few moments to study the old man who sat before her up close. He was older, wiser, and, Angie guessed, as dangerous as ever. She had been counting on that.

Never showing any sign of the emotion he held inside, King Benny asked, "Are you sure you wanna play me?"

Angie shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

"I cheat." He said simply.

Angie grinned in spite of herself. "So do I."

"Good." he said, finally cracking a slight smile, and opened the deal. The game was sette bello, Italian blackjack, which he had taught her to play on a rainy Saturday afternoon long ago when she was supposed to be at story hour at the library. He let her win only once in all those years. And she had been perfecting her game ever since.

"Hungry?" King Benny asked, tossing her two cards.

Angie shook her head. He had little use for words and used as few as he possibly could. Angie appreciated that about him. For you always knew that when he did speak, it was important to listen.

"Are you sure?" he wanted to know.

"I'm sure." came her answer.

"What's it going to be?" he asked nodding toward her cards, the topic of food now closed.

"Give me a hit."

King Benny flipped the card from the top of the deck, his eyes never leaving Angie's. "You're over." he said. "Now you're into me for a dollar."

"We used to play for pennies." Angie reminded him, digging her wallet out of her purse.

"That was a long time ago." was his simple answer. "The stakes are higher now."

That was the understatement of the century. "Double or nothing." she told him.

"A sucker bet," King Benny said and smirked, dealing out fresh cards and sipping from his espresso.

Angie lost the first ten hands they played, as King Benny kept picking up her dollars and piling them next to his cup. He kept the deck of cards at his right hand, dealing with only one finger, his eyes always fixed on Angie and never on the table. He shuffled the cards every other deal and ignored the phone when it rang.

"You always end up with a six." Angie said with a smile. "How is that?"

"I'm lucky."

"I thought you said you cheated."

"Same thing." And to King Benny, it probably was. Deciding that they had played for long enough, King Benny sat back and regarded her for a few moments. Finally, he said, "I am guessing that losing ten dollars to me at sette bello was not the reason you came all the way back to your past. Trouble at home?"

Angie shook her head, "I'm not home long enough to have trouble."

"You have been running from the past for a long time, mi felicita italiano." He said, invoking the name he gave to her when she was a child. "Has it finally caught up to you?"

There was no reason to play games with him...he had the uncanny ability to see right through her. Nodding, she said quietly, "I need a favor."

King Benny smiled and shook his head in amusement. "Your mother, God rest her soul, would turn over in her grave if she knew you asked me for a favor." He raised an eyebrow at her and then said, "Your father too, for that matter."

"I think they might approve of this." There was no love lost between King Benny Spinopolli and Big Pauly Caruso. That was no secret. They were two dangerous men who protected their turf with deadly force, always trying to conquer the other. But more than that, the rivalry between them was personal. "Did you love my mother?" Angie asked.

King Benny's face registered a look of surprise before he was able to cover it up with his usual stoney faced mask. "That is what you come to ask?" he asked.

"No." Angie said simply. "Just background information. Did you?"

Quietly, he answered, "I loved her every day."

"Is that why you watched out for me and Eddie?"

"I watch out for all the children of my neighborhood." He said, nonchalantly.

"We were special." Angie countered.

King Benny eyed her for a moment and Angie thought she saw some amusement behind his glare. "Yes." He answered. "You were special to me. You still are. I like you. You always made me smile and not too much makes me smile." He was very careful not to reveal too much humanity, for in his business it was a liability. But Angie knew how rare it was that King Benny expressed affection for anything. Then, getting back to the subject at hand, he asked, "Now what is the favor?"

Angie took a deep breath and said, "Eddie is missing."

Without missing a beat or batting an eyelash, he answered, "And this surprises you?"

"No." Angie answered, knowing that would be his reply. In the world King Benny and Eddie lived in, people disappeared all the time. And Angie was certain King Benny knew exactly what Eddie had been up to in the last sixteen years. "But I need to find out what happened to him."

"There are some things in life that you are better off not knowing." He answered quietly. "The truth may be more painful than you can imagine."

Angie shook her head. "Nothing can be worse than not knowing."

King Benny mulled over her words for a few moments as he studied her face. Finally, he said, "I am an old man, now. I cannot help you.

As if she was prepared for that answer, Angie said, "I was hoping you would come out of retirement for this." She looked his square in the eye. "For me. For my mother." Angie pulled a large envelope out of her purse and slid it across the table to him. Taking a deep breath, she continued, "My Uncle Tony likes to buy girls for his parties. They are expensive..."

"How do you know this?" He asked, eyeing the envelope suspiciously but never touching it.

Angie shrugged and said slyly, "I guess I have some of my father in me after all." Looking down at the envelope, she continued, "The girls are foreign and exotic. And very expensive. More expensive than he wants anyone in the family to know. So he goes outside the family to finance them. He owes..."

"No." King Benny stopped her by suddenly saying and picked up the envelope from where she had placed it on the table. He walked over to a small kitchenette where he proceeded to strike a match and set fire to the envelope without ever viewing the contents.

Angie jumped out of her chair with a start. "What are you doing?" she demanded. Mikey had been up half the night calling in favors to get her that evidence.

"Tomorrow you will wake up and hate yourself for what you were about to do." He explained, coming back to sit at the table. He motioned for her to sit as well and she obeyed, the tears brimming in her eyes. This had been her last hope. But she would not let him see her cry. King Benny hated weakness. She listened as he continued, "You are a good girl, Mary Angelina. Not many people get out of this life. You got out. Don't throw it away."

"He's my brother." She said quietly, pleading with him.

"Eddie's not a good boy anymore. He's a killer now." King Benny tried to reason with her, but he could tell his words were falling on deaf ears.

Why did everyone feel they had to keep reminding her of that? "Please." She whispered. "I have to know."

He cocked his head to one side as he regarded her. "And you think selling me your uncle's debts will make everything better? That when I call in his loan that he will just break down and tell me what happened to your brother?" he asked. "It don' t work that way."

"Then make it work. Do it your way."

"My way?" King Benny asked,watching her closely. "You know nothing of this life. Keep it that way. It's not worth it. Don't throw away the life you have created for yourself. Having Tony Caruso owe me money..."

"He owes you more than money." Angie interrupted him, a cold new tone to her voice. "A lot more. He owes it to us both."

King Benny was both irritated and intrigued at the same time. He was proud of the way she would not back down, but his word was final. He would not let her get involved in his business. "I am an old man and could die at any moment, Mary Angelina. I have no time for riddles. What does your uncle owe that is worth more than money?"

Angie leveled King Benny Spinopolli with her eyes and said in a calm, defiant voice, "He owes us my mother. Anthony Caruso is the man who killed her."


	16. Surveillance

**Chapter Sixteen - Surveillance **

_Outside Benny's Fish Market - Eighty Eight Hours Missing_

King Benny and Angie emerged from the back door of the fish market and blinked their eyes, taking a moment to adjust to the bright sunlight from the dark, duskiness of the fish market. Neither spoke. Enough words had been spoken.

From seemingly out of nowhere, a long silver Cadillac rounded the corner into the alleyway and pulled to a stop in front of them. One of King Benny's men, Fat Louie, got out of the driver's side and came around the car to open the door for the old man.

"Are we going for a ride?" Angie asked.

King Benny's face was stoic as he turned to her and said, "I am." Holding onto the window of the open car door, he continued, "You are going to work. Or to some other public place where you will be seen, in case anyone ever asks."

"Take me with you." Angie pleaded quietly.

"No." King Benny shook his head and got into the backseat of the Cadillac. "Go away."

"I..." Angie began to plead her case, but all she got for her trouble was the car door slammed in her face.

But Angie refused to move away from the curb and soon King Benny's tinted car window rolled down. He looked at her for a moment with that hard stare that she was certain had frightened many a gangster in their day, but then his face softened as he said, "When your mother took you back to that house, I was always sorry I couldn't do more for you and your brother."

Angie realized for the first time that the life her mother had chosen for them had even touched King Benny, piercing the protective nerve he had developed when it came to the three laughing children who made the back room of his fish market their own. It had made the hate he carried all the heavier.

"Go home, Mary Angelina." King Benny continued. "We are playing in my end of the field now, and it is no place for you." He paused for a moment and looked at her pointedly, saying, "You are a good girl, mi felicita italiano. You always were. No matter what happens with Eddie, don't let any of this change it."

King Benny pulled his sunglasses out of his pocket and put them on, looking straight ahead in a sure signal that their conversation was over. But before the car pulled away, Angie said, "I think she loved you, too." He turned again to face her, peering at her over the tops of his sunglasses. "My mother." Angie continued softly, "I think she loved you, too. In her own way."

Then without saying anything else, King Benny was gone. Angie watched the taillights of his car as it pulled out of the alley, hugging herself tightly. Closing her eyes, Angie leaned back against the wall of the fish market and thought about the last hour and a half of her life.

Suddenly feeling sick to her stomach, Angie turned around and threw up in the alley. The very idea of what she had been prepared to do had been causing her stomach to do nervous flip flops all night and now that it was over, her system could not stand the guilt anymore. Leaning on her forearm as she was doubled over in the alley, Angie was determined not to cry. It was too late for tears and they would do her no good anymore.

King Benny had saved her from becoming everything she had worked her whole life to avoid. And at the same time, he was going to get the answers she sought. She just hoped she was ready for what he would find out.

Popping a mint into her mouth, Angie straightened herself out and walked back out to the street.Stepping out onto 43rd Street, Angie turned to walk the sixteen blocks to the closest subway station. She was just wondering how long it would take until she heard from King Benny again when she was suddenly pulled off the street into another alley. Her assailant pulled her into a small alcove nearby and pressed her to the wall.

Pressing her hands against his chest, Angie tried to push him off. But Danny wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, trapping her arms between them. Her upturned face was furious, but he bent his head close to hers and said in a low voice, "Keep still. We're being watched."

She could indeed see, turning her head back to the street, the large man in a black leather jacket getting out of a car and looking toward Benny's Fish Market suspiciously. As Angie stopped struggling, Danny relaxed his grip. His arms now only encircling her like the lovers they were pretending to be, Danny enjoyed the feeling of her body against his. He could feel the tension of her body ease slowly, though she still kept her hands on his chest. Inhaling slowly, he caught her scent, a soft musky odor.

Too quickly, though, he saw Angie's pursuer turn in frustration, get back into his car, and drive away down the street. With some disappointment, he released Angie and peered around the alcove. The mobster, probably one of the Caruso crew, was driving away quickly, probably trying to catch up with King Benny. When he was sufficiently far away, Danny stepped out and Angie followed.

Fiercely, she demanded, "Were you following me?"

"Yes." he said, walking to his car, "And it's a damn good thing I was."

"How dare you follow me!" She shouted.

Furious, he turned around, "How dare you lie to me!"

She shot back, "I have not lied to you. In fact, I've told you more about me than I've ever told anyone."

"Oh yeah?" Danny took a few steps toward her and grabbed her arm. "That was a nice little performance you put on yesterday in our offices. But I am very good at my job, Angie, and I know damn well that you didn't tell us everything. You walked out of Theresa's room last night with a look on your face that scared me to death. And then you go and arrange a meeting with one of the most dangerous hit men to ever walk these streets..."

"King Benny is like family to me." Angie interrupted.

"Don't jerk me around, Angie." Danny warned her. Shaking his head, he asked, "What the hell are you thinking? As if finding out what happened to your brother wasn't hard enough, now you're going to start a mob war?"

"He wouldn't let me." Angie said.

"And that makes it ok? You came here to..."

"You have no idea why I came here." She said, turning to walk away from him.

"Whose fault is that?" He asked. "Be straight with me, Angie."

Angie stopped and looked at him. She wanted to tell him. She wanted him to hold her as she told him about the awful night her mother died. To make him understand the demons that drove her back to this place and into the safe arms of the most dangerous man in Hell's Kitchen. "Not here." She whispered, looking around. She could see King Benny's men peering at them out the front window of the fish market and knew they had to get out of there. "Aunt Mary is watching the kids this morning, but she has to get to the pub for the lunch rush."

"This way," was all he said and led her around the corner to where his car was parked.

Their ride across the bridge to Brooklyn was silent, until Angie finally broke it. "You could have just stood in front of me in the alley, you know," she said, annoyance in her voice.

"Now what kind of fun would that have been?" He asked, smiling to himself. She found him to be a source of immense frustration, he knew. But the immediate connection and chemistry between them was undeniable. Which was turning out to be both a blessing and a curse for this case. He couldn't put into words what it had done to him to see her disappear into the back of King Benny's fish market, not to mention all the scenarios that were playing out in his head while she spent the next hour in there.

Pulling up in front of her brownstone, she turned to him and said, "I'm not saying a word until the kids are down for their naps. Little Eddie is young, but he's not stupid. I'm not taking any chances of him overhearing us.

Danny smirked and opened his car door, saying, "I tell great bedtime stories."


	17. A Shoulder to Cry On

_Dark Syrinx - Yes, Hell's Kitchen is a neighborhood on the west side of New York City. I'm glad you are enjoying this story!_

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen - A Shoulder to Cry On**

_Angie Sullivan's Brooklyn Brownstone - Eighty Nine Hours Missing_

Angie laughed out loud at Danny as he was tackled once again by an over excited four year old. Little Eddie, happy to have a new play toy, laughed hysterically as he jumped on Danny's back. "Careful Ed, I don't want you to break him. At least not before I get to play with him." Angie giggled, and then broke out into a full on laugh at the look Danny flashed her from where he was trapped under the squirming little boy.

"_She used to laugh all the time. You could hear her laugh for miles around and it just made you smile. It was the sound of someone who was truly happy. She smiles now, but I haven't heard her laugh in a long time." _Mike Sullivan's words ran through Danny's head as he looked up at Angie. She was cradling baby Rose in her arms and cooing softly down at her. Her long, dark hair was falling softly around her shoulders and her cheeks were flushed pink from happiness. He caught his breath. She was so beautiful.

He could watch her forever like this, lamplit from behind, and let the world wait. In that moment, Danny knew that he was seeing his future. This woman, holding his children, during a quiet evening at home.

Danny shook those thoughts out of his head as he tickled Little Eddie's stomach, causing the little boy to dissolve in a new fit of giggles. He had known her for only a few days and already he was planning their future together? Get a grip, Taylor, he thought to himself.

"Okay, you two. That's enough excitement for one afternoon." Angie said, smiling over to where Danny and Little Eddie continued to play. "Someone is in need of a nap."

"Which one of us?" Danny asked playfully.

Angie shook her head as Danny got up off the floor and lifted Eddie effortlessly into his arms. "I'll take this one if you take that one." He said, heading toward the stairs and throwing Little Eddie over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Squealing with delight, Little Eddie and Danny disappeared up to the guest bedroom.

Careful not to wake the sleeping baby girl in her arms, Angie got up off the couch and walked over to Rose's portable playpen. Kissing her gently on the forehead, Angie laid the baby gently in the playpen and covered her with a soft, pink blanket. "Sleep well, little one." She whispered, gazing down upon her brother's child. "This will all be over soon...one way or another."

Angie started straightening the living room when she heard Danny's voice wafting down from her upstairs guest room. Unable to resist, she crept up the stairs to listen in.

"...and then the brave little dragon charged into the cave to save his friends." Angie bit her lip to keep from laughing at Danny's serious tone as he told the silly little story to put Eddie to sleep. She leaned back against the wall and just listened, but couldn't resist taking a peak. Danny had joined Little Eddie on the bed, cradling the little boy in his arms as he recounted the adventures of the brave little dragon. Angie had to catch her breath...nothing made her heart leap like the sight of a beautiful man holding a beautiful little boy. Her mind quickly flashed into the future and saw a similar scene, but this little boy had Angie's green eyes and Danny's strong jaw line. Angie squashed those feelings back down inside her psyche as quickly as they had come up. She had no idea of Danny's intentions toward her, given the fact that nothing about their future was certain at this point.

Angie was waiting outside Eddie's room when Danny pulled a blanket over the sleeping child and kissed his forehead. Coming out into the hall, he didn't expect to see her standing there.

"Is he asleep?" she whispered.

He nodded his answer, and headed for the stairs. But she had another idea in mind, and grabbed his arm. She pushed him back against the wall, her weight on him and her eyes dancing with mischief. Her hot breath tickled his ear as she whispered sexily, "You know how I told you the other night that I didn't think you ever looked sexier than when you were focused on something and had that intense look in your eyes?"

"Mmm-hmm," he hummed, as she pressed up closer against him, breathless in his ear. It was the only sound he could manage.

"I lied." She kissed his chin and continued, "There is nothing sexier in this world than a beautiful man comforting an adorable little boy and helping him get to sleep."

"Well, hell." He managed to say. "To think I went the charming rogue route to impress you." He grinned at her, and said, "If that's all it takes to turn you on, I would've borrowed one of Jack's kids days ago." Her breathless laughter mingled with his and he kissed her, deep and lazy and demanding. She tilted her head up and deepened the kiss, slow and thorough, and by the time he'd finished, she'd almost forgotten that they were still in the hallway.

"Bedroom...is...that...way." She managed to say between kisses.

Tearing his lips away from hers, he breathlessly said, "I can't believe I'm saying this, but...we can't." She looked up at him, confused. "Not until you tell me what happened today."

Angie locked eyes with him for a few moments and then pushed herself off of him. She turned and headed downstairs while Danny followed close behind. Without looking at him, she sat down on the chair in the corner of her living room and drew her knees up beneath her chin. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she stared out the window at the street. "I don't know where to begin." She said quietly.

"I've always found the beginning to be a good starting place." He said, just as quietly, sitting on the edge of the couch closest to her.

"You already know the beginning." She turned to look at him and said, "Everything I said yesterday in your offices is true. I didn't lie."

"But you didn't tell us everything."

"No." Angie shook her head. "I couldn't." She paused. "I didn't know how."

"But you could tell King Benny?" Danny asked gently.

Avoiding his eyes, Angie said, "He loved my mother. Since she was a little girl. And he always protected us, Eddie and me, like we were his own. I guess he wished that we were." She looked back out the window and said, "Most kids, when they're in trouble, they go running home to daddy to make it all better. To kiss away their boo boo's, protect them from the bullies on the playground, all that kind of stuff. But when things spiral out of my control, as they have recently, I don't have a daddy to run to. I never really did. But I have a King Benny. So that's where I went."

"I don't see what this has to do with your mother." Danny began. "She's been gone for..."

"It has everything to do with my mother." Angie said, quietly but firmly. "Before yesterday, only one other person in the world knew what I'm going to tell you. Eddie. Then last night, I told Mikey and today..."

"You told King Benny." Danny finished for her. What a strange pair of confidantes this woman had. Detective Mike Sullivan, the personification of what a cop should be. And King Benny Spinopolli, the very essence of evil here on earth. And Angie trusted them both completely. Now she was trusting him.

Danny wanted to move closer to her and take her in his arms, but he did not dare. Angie finally looked back at him and said, "Anthony Caruso killed my mother. In cold blood. In the driveway in front of our guest house, he shot her like a dog in the street and left her there to die."

Danny was stunned into silence. Recovering, he asked, "How do you know?"

"I was there. I saw it happen." Danny looked confused and Angie continued, "My uncle Frank had always suspected that uncle Tony had called for the hit on my father. It was just a little strange that he died the way he did. He was in and out of prison his whole life and no one ever bothered him before that day. My father must have warned my mother about it somehow, because she was trying to get some proof. That's why we stayed at the compound after my father died. Not for protection, but to find evidence against my uncle." Angie laughed a heartless little laugh as she said, "You know the old saying about keeping your friends close and your enemies closer? Well that is a way of life in the mob. When my father found out that a hit had been called on him, he couldn't believe it. The man who had always been by my father's side throughout the years, his brother and right hand man. Anthony Caruso is a dirty player who only had one thing to gain by killing his own brother...power." Angie paused and looked over at a picture of her mother sitting on a nearby table. Her beautiful face and smile was forever captured beneath the glass of the picture frame. She continued by saying, "Power and greed were the motives for my father's death, and my mother couldn't allow power and greed take over the life she had worked so hard for. But my mother was in over her head. She was no match for my uncle and cousin. She made a wrong move and they figured out what she was up to."

"How old were you?" Danny asked.

"Fifteen."

Fifteen. That thought ran though Danny's head and sent chills up his spine. She was just barely a child, but old enough to witness her mother's murder and know who had done the deed. And then carry this secret with her until recently. "Did they see...do they know you saw him kill her?"

Angie shook her head. "I'm still alive, aren't I? If they knew, I would never have made it out." Angie hugged her knees closer to her chest. "Only Eddie knew. That's the real reason he stayed with the family. To keep me safe and stay within the circle of their trust so that he would know if they ever figured it out."

"How did they explain it?" Danny asked, all of this new information swirling around in his head. Things were beginning to make more sense. "I mean, how did your uncle Frank never figure it out?"

With no emotion in her voice, Angie said, "They put her body in a car and ran it off a cliff in New Jersey. She was completely burned in the explosion and then cremated." She blinked back the tears that came to her eyes and continued, "Uncle Tony and Joey made up some story about my mom suffering from depression and abusing pain killers after my dad died. Eddie and I never told uncle Frank what we knew and he was so distraught about her death..." Angie's voice trailed off as she blinked back the tears. "I've lied to them everyday. How will he ever forgive me for that?"

Danny finally left his place on the couch and moved to the chair. Kneeling in front of her, he said, "You were scared, Angie. Your uncle knows what kind of people the Caruso's are and will understand why you did what you did. You had to save your own life and I'm sure that's exactly what he would have wanted you to do. He loves you so much."

His voice was soft, full of concern, and at the sound, a sob escaped her lips as a shudder tore through her rapidly weakening frame and tears became a storm of repressed anger, fear, and sheer exhaustion. All at once his arms were around her, gathering her into a warm and strong embrace as he pulled her down to the floor with him. Danny fought down his own dark emotions as he felt her transferred pain with each quiver, tear, and ragged breath she took; words did not need to be uttered in order to communicate what ordeal she had no doubt survived, miraculously with such little damage.

"Why didn't we stay?" Angie cried into Danny's shoulder. "Why did we ever go back to that house? Things would have been so different if we had only stayed in Hell's Kitchen." The whole time Danny gently stroked her hair, finding peace in just being with her.

Several minutes passed before Angie was able to finally take a full breath, trying to abate the lightheaded feeling that accompanied the hyperventilation of her sobs. "You know," she said quietly, "up until a few days ago, I never cried. I told myself that it was because I was too tough, too strong. But the truth is, crying just never seemed to do any good. Because when I stopped crying, things were still awful. But now," she said, pulling closer to him, "all I seem to do is cry." Angie looked up at him and smiled through her tears, "And when I stop, you're there. And things aren't quite so awful anymore."

Danny slowly tilted her head up towards him. Their faces inched closer and closer together. Angie sighed as Danny's lips found hers. They kissed for several long moments, both completely lost in each other. As he kissed her, Danny kept whispering her name. And it was the sweetest sound Angie had ever heard.

"Mommy!"

Angie's eyes flew open and she tore her lips away from Danny's, just in time to hear him groan. Laughing silently, she leaned down and met Danny's forehead with her own. "I feel like I'm back in high school and we just got caught making out by our parents." She giggled.

He laughed too, a much deeper, sexier sound than her own embarrassed giggle.

"Mommy!" Little Eddie's cry was more insistent this time and they could hear him begin to whimper.

"He's in a strange bed." Angie guessed, climbing off Danny and leaving him in a crumple on the floor. Walking out of the room to go comfort the scared child, she glanced back over her shoulder with a sexy look. "Save my place." she said, before climbing the stairs to the second floor.

Danny shook his head and thought about the events of the last two hours. It was unlike anything he'd ever been involved in before. He felt a faint glimmer of hope with the realization that Angie might be right...King Benny may be able to end this whole thing. As a federal agent, he knew he couldn't just look the other way, but as a human being he was considering it. Like a grisly crime scene, the image of Angie's pain and tears would remain with him forever. And when this was over, she would be free. His thoughts were accompanied by a feeling of shame, for thinking of himself at a time like this. But he couldn't help it; his feelings for the woman were that strong.

Danny heard his cell phone ringing from his jacket pocket on the couch. Moving off the floor to retrieve it, Danny answered and heard Jack's concerned voice on the other end. "Where are Angie and the kids?"

Danny hesitated for a moment and then said, "Right here. With me." He paused and waited for Jack's reaction, but there wasn't one so he asked, "What's going on?"

"There was a major explosion at the warehouse that houses the Caruso family's labor union headquarters. Anthony, Joey, and most of the key players in the family were all inside for some kind of meeting." Jack paused as Danny caught his breath. "They're all dead, Danny. You need to get down here right away."


	18. When the Smoke Clears

**Chapter Eighteen - When the Smoke Clears**

_Caruso Family Headquarters - Ninety Five Hours Missing_

A burning, blazing, curling ball of fire twisted up into the evening sky. The ghost of an old warehouse stood shadowed amongst the flame. Thick, black, smoke billowed from it, enveloping the stars above, floating outwards to form a heavy haze.

Sirens blared piercingly all around, joined by the blinding flashes of red and blue and white lights. Shouts and orders mingled with the cries of grief. The voices all around spoke of death and the fiery light before them. The sound of crackling sparks and weakening wood merged with the chatter.

The distinguished smell of smoke and smoldering timber, fabric, glass, plastic, drifted the length of the lot, winding its way into the noses of everyone around...firefighters, paramedics, police, and F.B.I agents...and out of the vicinity, up over the streets and across the river, following the clouds of thick smoke out over the buildings of lower Manhattan.

Suddenly the sirens faded as ambulances began to leave, one after the other down the blocked off street, and the staff of the New York City Coroners Office began to get to work. Body bags and stretchers were pulled out of vans and the chatter died down slightly as the flames became steadily more controllable. A couple of fire engines took off in the opposite direction of the ambulances while numerous black and yellow jacketed men and women continued spraying at the meager flames that remained.

Sudden shouts from the surrounding firefighters echoed upwards, as well as a loud snap and splintering of destroyed wood. "Watch out! She's collapsing!" warned one of the them. The sound of breaking, scorched lumber soon joined the man's cautioning and then the blackened frame of the warehouse buckled downwards onto the remaining flames.

Danny pulled Samantha down behind one of the nearby cars to avoid the flying embers. "Are you two all right?" Jack asked, crawling over to where they were crouching. Danny and Sam both nodded, as Sam asked about Martin and Vivian. After Jack assured them that their co-workers were okay, he motioned for them to join him farther away from the action.

"How the hell did this happen?" Martin asked as the gang gathered at the end of the docks.

Jack shook his head, never taking his eyes off the blazing building. "I've heard rumblings about arson, but the fire inspector couldn't get close enough to investigate before it collapsed."

"It's quite convenient that all the most important members of the Caruso family were gathered together tonight." Sam mused, also watching the remains of the warehouse.

"This was no coincidence." A deep voice joined in the conversation. The agents turned around to see Agent Colin Mackenzie from the F.B.I's Criminal Division approaching quietly. Nodding at Jack, he said, "Malone."

"Agent Mackenzie." Jack returned his nod, then asked, "What brings you down here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question." He said, eyeing Jack's team warily. " My team has been investigating the Caruso case for years now. But I don't remember anyone calling in Missing Persons."

The last thing Jack needed right now was a turf war. "That still doesn't tell us what you're doing here."

"Something big was going down tonight." Mackenzie continued looking around at the group and said, "The boys were planning a last minute meeting with Benny Spinopolli from Hell's Kitchen. We were going to use this opportunity to move in and take down two crime lords in one shot, but we were apparently too late."

"Is Spinoppolli inside?" Danny asked.

Colin shook his head. "My guys in Hell's Kitchen tell me that he hasn't left his fish market since earlier this afternoon. He had no plans to show up here tonight." The other agent looked pointedly at Danny. "They also tell me that you and the Caruso sister...Angie...were spotted in Hell's Kitchen earlier today. And outside Theresa Caruso's hospital room last night. Care to explain?"

Before Danny could answer, Jack took over the conversation. "We're working a Missing Person's case, Colin."

"Who's missing?" Agent Mackenzie asked, concern on his face.

Jack's team exchanged uneasy looks before Jack answered, "Eddie Caruso."

Surprise registered on Colin's face as he looked back and forth at the agents standing before him. Shaking his head, he muttered, "Dammit, Jack. You should have given us a heads up."

"We were trying to keep Angie and Theresa Caruso alive." Jack explained. "We did what we thought was best."

"Things are always easier when we are working with each other, not against each other Malone." Colin muttered. He looked up at Jack and said, "You and your team can go home. Your case is over."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked. "Nothing that happened here tonight brought us any closer to finding Eddie Caruso."

"Eddie Caruso is not missing." Agent Mackenzie answered. "He's been in F.B.I. custody for over a week."


	19. Reunion

**Chapter Nineteen - Reunion**

_F.B.I. Headquarters: Missing Persons Division_

Angie hadn't realized just how nervous she was until she saw her own hand shaking as she pressed the elevator button. Taking a deep breath, she leaned back against the paneling of the elevator and tried to steady her frayed nerves.

When Danny had left her house hours ago, it had been under a shroud of secrecy. He wouldn't tell her what was going on, but told her to stay in the house with the doors locked and not to answer the phone unless the call was from him. Finally, after hours of waiting, he called and told her she needed to get down to his office...immediately. She couldn't tell from the emotionless tone of his voice what was going on and that worried her. He had kept her so well informed about the case that his current secrecy was disconcerting.

Had he told them about her meeting with King Benny? Was she going to be transported out of this meeting in hand cuffs? Angie was beginning to wonder if she should just take the elevator back down to the lobby and run away. She had been running her entire life and it was like second nature to her. But running didn't seem like the best answer anymore since Danny had come into her life. Before Angie could think anymore about it, the elevator doors opened and it was time for her to face the music.

The data flowing across Danny's computer screen was hypnotic. He had been staring at the almost unbearable glare of the words for at least an hour after he'd typed them, the details transfixing him. The reports coming across his desk should have been alarming, but surprisingly were not. There was no doubt that this fire had been set by King Benny. So many similarities were there...the unusual distribution of accelerants, the method of creating small blazes to create a larger blaze, the way the structure had been tampered with. Any of these used alone might have been standard practice for any arsonist but combined they were a familiar MO. An MO that matched a fire that King Benny had been tied to years ago. But, as was the case once again, there was no strong evidence to tie him to the crime.

Danny saw her step off the elevator and rose from his chair to go meet her. He needed to speak with her before the meeting with Agent Mackenzie began.

"Hey," she greeted him with a tired smile. She reached up, not caring who saw, and wiped a dark smudge off his cheek. He caught her hand tenderly and their eyes locked. "You're dirty." She whispered.

"Soot." He answered.

Angie looked at him questioningly, her half smile hiding her nerves. "Were you building a fire somewhere?" She joked.

"Putting one out." He said, glancing around. The door to Jack's office was still closed as he and Agent Mackenzie discussed the situation at hand, which gave Danny a few moments to talk to Angie before her life changed forever. "Come here," he said, taking her hand and leading her into a back hallway.

"Tell me what's going on, Danny." She said once they were alone together. "Am I in trouble?"

Danny shook his head and said, "Just the opposite. You're safe now."

"What are you talking about?"

"They're dead, Angie." Danny said, softly. "Tony, Joey, all of them. They're all dead."

He watched her face as the information sunk in. "How?" She whispered, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

"The warehouse...the headquarters on the docks...blew up tonight." He eyed her and said, "They were all inside for some big meeting."

"With...?"

Danny nodded, but Angie didn't finish her question because Martin poked his head around the corner. "Danny? Jack needs you two in the conference room."

Danny began to lead her back to the bull pen area, but Angie grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Does he know? Did you tell him that I went to King Benny?"

Danny shook his head. "They know we were in Hell's Kitchen this afternoon. Apparently King Benny is still a big enough player to deserve some surveillance. But I didn't tell them why you were there."

"What did you tell them?" She wanted to know.

"The truth." He said. "I told them I arrived as you were coming out of the fish market, but you were already on your way home."

Angie shook her head "I can't let you do this." She said. "You can't protect me like this. I made a choice today and I'm going to have to live with the consequences. You can't risk your career like this. I'm not worth it."

Danny grinned at her. "Do you realize exactly how much time you spend telling me what to do? I don't know how I ever managed to get through my life without you around to tell me what..."

"Danny!" She said, smacking him on the arm. "This is serious."

"Don't worry about it." He said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "And for the record, you are worth all of this and so much more. And after tonight, I plan on spending a great deal of time convincing you of that."

Caught off guard by his romantic statement, Angie just stood for a moment and watched him walk away. Danny looked back over his shoulder and smirked at her. "Let's go, Mary Angelina. Jack doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Danny pushed open the door to the conference room and led Angie inside. Agents Malone and Mackenzie stood as she entered and gestured for Angie to have a seat at the table across from them. After introducing Agent Mackenzie, Jack got right down to business. "Ms. Sullivan, I assume that Agent Taylor has filled you in on the details of the explosion that occurred on the docks this evening. Your uncle Anthony, cousin Joey, and just about every member of the Caruso crime family network were inside."

Angie nodded and looked up at Danny, who was now standing behind the other two agents. She felt like she was facing the firing squad. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Yes, he just informed me of what happened. He also informed me that you know that I went to see Benny Spinoppolli this afternoon." Angie watched as Jack looked sideways at Agent Mackenzie, then she looked over at Danny. She wasn't about to let him get in any trouble for protecting her, whether he liked it or not. Sensing what she was about to do, Danny silently shook his head at her and eyed her cautiously. Ignoring his pointed look, Angie continued. "My brother and I grew up under the watchful eye of King Benny in Hell's Kitchen. With Eddie missing, I went to tell him that..."

Jack cut Angie off before she could say anymore. "Ms. Sullivan, did you order Benny Spinoppolli to put a hit out on your family?"

Startled by his blunt question, Angie shook her head. "No." She said, meeting his gaze. "No one orders King Benny to do anything."

"Then why don't you leave the investigation of the explosion to us?" Agent Mackenzie said quietly, looking pointedly at her. "In fact, it is an active investigation and we shouldn't discuss it any further."

Angie looked back and forth between Agents Malone and Mackenzie and realized that they had a pretty good idea of what she had done and were choosing to look the other way. Because when it comes down to it, King Benny had accomplished in one night what the F.B.I. hadn't ever been able to do. He had shut down the Caruso crime family. "I don't understand." Angie said finally.

"I know." Jack said quietly. "But there is someone here who can explain it to you better than we can."

Jack nodded and Danny opened a back door to the conference room. Angie felt her heart jump up into her throat as her brother suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Angie Sullivan," Danny said gently, "we would like you to meet F.B.I. informant Eddie Caruso."


	20. Some Answers Lead to More Questions

_The holiday season has been crazy! I've been so busy shopping, decorating, baking cookies, for my kids' classes, and attending parties that I haven't had time to update! But today has been snowy and quiet, so here goes..._

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**Chapter Twenty - Some Answers Lead to More Questions**

_F.B.I. Headquarters: Missing Persons Division_

Angie sat rooted to her seat at the sight of her brother, alive and in the flesh, standing in the doorway.

"Hey, kiddo." Eddie said quietly, not moving from the spot where he stood either.

Angie looked from Eddie to Danny to Agents Malone and Mackenzie, then back to Danny with a look of shock on her face. Danny nodded slowly, trying to hide his grin with a mask of professionalism.

Somehow, as if she were having an out of body experience, Angie managed to lift herself out of her seat and launch herself into her brother's waiting arms. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace and they held on to each other with all they had. Burying her face in his neck, Angie whispered, "I thought I had lost you. I thought they had..."

"I know." Eddie whispered, pulling her even closer. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the Hell that you must have gone through. I'm sorry for leaving you alone to deal with everything that's gone on. I'm sorry for all of this. I'm so sorry."

Angie closed her eyes and breathed in the familiar scent of him. She was afraid to let him go. Afraid that if she unwrapped her arms from around him that he would disappear again. And this time she would never get him back. "Eddie." She whispered. "I love you so much. Don't ever die on me again, OK?"

Eddie chuckled at her comment and it was so good to hear him laugh. Finally Angie found the will to remove her arms from around his neck, but she did not move away from him. Clasping his handsome face between her trembling hands, Angie looked up at him. She ran her hands through his hair, over his face and down his neck to his shoulders. "What are you doing?" He asked, amused by her explorations.

"Making sure you are really here. And this is not a dream." She explained. "My life has been a little surreal lately and I have been running on caffeine and no sleep. So you could very easily be a figment of my overactive imagination." Seemingly convinced that he was real, Angie's hands came to a stop on Eddie's arms. Punching him in the arm, she said, "Now, would you like to tell me what the Hell is going on?"

Danny smirked as Eddie rubbed the spot where her fist had made contact. "Oww. Be careful with the goods, brat. I've been considered dead for almost a week now. You're a doctor, so you know the recovery period from that condition is very delicate. You should not be abusing me."

"Let's talk about that, shall we?" Angie said, her relief turning very quickly into anger. "The 'being considered dead' part? The part that has been freaking me out from the moment they told me you were missing? The part that almost caused me to start a mob war?"

Danny practically winced when she said that and looked over at Jack and Agent Mackenzie, who were going over some paperwork and pretending not to be interested in the reunion happening only a few feet away from where they were sitting.

"You almost started a mob war?" Eddie asked and Danny thought he detected a bit of pride in the elder Caruso's voice. "How did...?" He began to ask, but caught Danny shaking his head at him from the corner of his eye and stopped. "Never mind. I have a feeling I don't want to know." Looking around the room, Eddie put his hand on Angie's back and led her over to a couple of chairs in the far corner of the room. They weren't going to get much privacy, but at least they could feel like they weren't being monitored. "Sit with me."

Once they were seated, Angie asked, "How long have you been an F.B.I. rat?"

Raising his eyebrow at her choice of words, Eddie said, "I have been an _informant _for about five years..."

"Five years?" She interrupted, shaking her head in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because we don't talk about my work, remember?" He said, smirking. But his tone turned serious when he said, "I would never have done anything to put you in danger. Ever." He lifted his hand to touch her cheek and she covered his hand with her own.

Kissing his palm, she felt the tears well up in her eyes. "I know." Glancing over to where Danny was now leaning down to talk with the other two agents, Angie said, "I told them. I told them about mom."

Eddie nodded his head. "They told me."

"I told King Benny, too." She whispered.

Surprise registered in his eyes and she watched as the realization about the night's events hit him. He knew immediately that King Benny had been responsible for what happened to their family. And, in a round about way, Angie was responsible too. "That may not have been your smartest move."

"Well, I've been a little off my game this week." She said, looking at him pointedly. "I went a little nuts while believing you were dead. I did a few things that weren't too smart."

"Like hopping into bed with the Feds?" Eddie smirked, following her gaze over to where Danny stood. "Literally."

"What are you talking about..."

Eddie grinned at her. "I know you better than anyone, remember? Did you really think you could keep the news about your new boyfriend from me? From the moment I met him, Special Agent Taylor has been especially concerned about how all of this is going to affect you."

Angie tore her eyes away from Danny and changed the subject. "You were just going to tell me why you have been dead all week?" she asked, redirecting his attention back to their conversation.

Eddie took a deep breath and began his story. "You know that I never wanted to be part of this life." Angie nodded her head and her guilt was written all over her face. Eddie quickly took her face in his hands and said, "I don't blame you, OK. I have never blamed you. I made this choice on my own and I lived with it. To keep you safe. But when Theresa found out that she was pregnant, I knew that I couldn't pass on to my kids what had been passed on to us. So during one of the Feds' investigations into the Caruso family finances, I struck up a deal with Agent Mackenzie over there. I would become a prize gangster working hand-in-hand with a tight-knit group of FBI agents, ratting out my Mob brethren in exchange for protection from arrest and prosecution."

"What did you give them?"

"Wiretap evidence from bugs within the Caruso mansion. I tapped everything...the house, the offices...even the cars. Wherever Uncle Tony and Joey did business."

"That's how we knew the Caruso's were meeting with King Benny tonight." Agent Mackenzie piped up from across the room, reminding the brother and sister that they weren't completely alone.

"So what happened last week?" Angie wanted to know. "Why did they pull you out?"

"I asked them, too." Eddie said gently. "I wanted out. To sever all ties. We were going into Witness Protection..."

"Theresa!" Angie said suddenly, almost leaping out of her chair. "They got to Theresa, Eddie. She's in the hospital with a bullet in her belly..."

"She's been transferred." Jack said quietly, his soft eyes calming Angie's nerves. "To another location, protected by Federal Guards."

"Why didn't you take her and the kids with you?" Angie demanded of Eddie. "How could you do that to her? She was out of her mind with grief, not knowing if you were alive or dead!"

"They said it was safer that way. If we disappeared together, then the family would know that we went into Witness Protection and continue hunting for us for the rest of our lives." Eddie shook his head, saying, "And if she knew that they were pulling me out, they could force her to talk and..."

"So instead she got a bullet for her trouble." Angie finished for him. "Whose bright idea was that?" she asked, looking pointedly over at the agents.

Agent Mackenzie avoided her question and her stare, saying, "Theresa will make a full recovery. We have seen to that."

"Are Little Eddie and Rose at Uncle Frank and Aunt Mary's?" Eddie asked, eager to see his children.

"We sent some agents over to the pub to get them." Danny said, finally joining the conversation. "They should be here within the hour. Along with your aunt, uncle, and cousin."

"Uncle Frank is coming here? And Mikey?" Eddie asked, exchanging glances with Angie. She put a reassuring hand on his shoulder as he took a deep breath and said, "I'm not sure I'm ready for that."

"You'd better get ready." Danny said pointedly. "This isn't over yet. And we need everyone's help to pull it off."


	21. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

_OK, only one more chapter to go after this one. Then I can get back to work on my other neglected fic._

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**Chapter Twenty One - Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow**

_St. Ignatius Cemetery, New Jersey_

The remaining members of the Sullivan family all stood around the small tombstone holding flowers, their tears falling down to the ground. No one said anything for a long time, like they expected Eddie to come out and be alive again. It was eerie that they couldn't hear a sound even though Manhattan was just across the river.

Finally the priest spoke up. It was an unnerving sound, hearing a voice after silence was present for so long. He just said how wonderful Eddie Caruso was and how he could put a smile on the saddest faces of those who loved him. Some people may have questioned the choices he made in this life, but they never questioned his devotion to his wife, his children, and his sister. Now he joined the parents that he loved in Heaven. It was with that statement that Frank Sullivan dropped his flowers on the grave and left. Angie, Mary, and Mike watched him go and the silence was present again.

There was one other mourner at the cemetery that day. Benny Spinopolli leaned against a distant tombstone and watched the scene with a silent tear running down his face. He hadn't expected Eddie Caruso to be in that warehouse when it exploded. King Benny hadn't been able to save their mother and now he had killed the son. It was yet another burden he would have to bear in his lonely life.

Mary kissed Angie's cheek and laid her flowers at the grave before silently walking away with Mike and Father Xavier at her side, leaving only one person at Eddie's graveside. The one person that was crying the hardest. Finally, she laid her flowers at the base of the tombstone and kissed her fingers before touching the name etched in stone. Turning to pay her respects to her mother's and father's graves, Angie traced her fingers over her mother's name. _Mary Rose Sullivan Caruso: Beloved Mother, Wife, and Sister._ Then she quietly wiped the tears from her eyes and walked back to where her family waited for her.

As she crossed the cemetery, Angie could have sworn she saw someone in the shadows watching her walk away. Turning her head, she locked eyes with King Benny. Then in one instant, in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Mikey opened the rear door of the waiting black town car and Angie slid in next to Danny, who was hidden by the tinted windows of the rented Federal sedan. Danny grasped her hand as Mike slid into the driver's seat. "Nice performance. I think that King Benny and anyone else who may have been watching were convinced." He whispered.

Mike slid the car into drive and followed the car in front of them where Frank, Mary, and Jack Malone were riding. "He thinks he killed him." Angie said quietly, thinking of the look of grief she saw for a split second on King Benny's face. "I went to him for help. I got him involved and now we've made him think that he killed Eddie."

"We had to, Ang. It was the only way to make it look convincing." Mike said, glancing into the rear view mirror. "What's left of the Caruso family is in a frenzy to restructure itself and we don't know who they have reached out to."

"King Benny is tough. And heartless." Danny agreed. "He's been to enough funerals in his day...most of which he was responsible for. He'll bounce back from this."

"Not this time." Angie said, looking out the window as the scenery flashed before her. "This was different."

"I'll tell him, Ang." Mike reassured her. "Just not now. For everyone's safety."

Danny put his arm around Angie and she leaned into his strength. They sat in silence as Mike followed Jack's car as he turned off the main highway and down several deserted back roads. Finally, the two sedans pulled off the road into a neglected barn on an abandoned farm. Danny and Jack ushered the Sullivan's into a waiting van and they took off for a small airport a few miles away.

A private jet was waiting for them on the runway as the van pulled into the airport hangar. As the Sullivan's got out of their van, the door to the airport office opened and Agent Mackenzie came out. He was followed by Eddie, pushing Theresa's wheelchair, and the kids. Little Eddie broke into a run and flew into his aunt's arms. Angie scooped him up and could barely hide the tears as she held on to him. It would be the last time she ever held him like this. When, and if, they ever saw each other again Little Eddie probably wouldn't even remember her.

Angie held her nephew tight as she watched Eddie and Uncle Frank embrace. They shared tender words that were not meant for anyone else to hear and then let each other go. Eddie said his good-byes to Mikey and Aunt Mary before turning to his sister. Mikey took Little Eddie out of her arms and she stepped into her brother's embrace. Unable to hold back the tears any longer, Angie began to sob. Eddie closed his eyes and held on to her until Agent Mackenzie told them that they had to get going.

Looking down at his sister, Eddie wiped a tear from her eyes and said, "I love you. Everything I did, I did for you. And you have made me so proud."

"I miss you already." She whispered. "I know this is for the best, but I can't even think about a life without you in it."

"I'll always be here for you. Always." He whispered, finally letting her go and kissing her forehead. Tearing his gaze away from her, he turned to Danny and shook his hand. "Take care of her for me, OK? She can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, but the pay off is worth it."

Danny nodded and smiled. Then with one last look, Eddie and his family walked toward the plane that would take them to their new life. Danny wrapped his arms around Angie and she buried her face in his chest, unable to watch her brother walk away again. And this time he was never coming back.


	22. Christmas Surprises

_Well, we have come to the end of another fic. I hope you have enjoyed it!_

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**Epilogue - Christmas Surprises**

_Danny and Angie Taylor's Brooklyn Brownstone - Four Years Later_

"Danny, I really don't think this is a good idea." Angie repeated to her husband as she bundled up her baby daughter, Emerson Rose, in a flannel blanket. Making sure Emerson's feet were covered, she laid the baby back down in her cradle and walked over to where Danny was changing the diaper of Emerson's twin brother, Aidan Edward.

"Which you have already told me a hundred times this evening." Danny remarked, making a silly face at his son. "Mommy thinks Daddy doesn't listen to her. But I spend most of my life listening to her, don't I buddy?" He said in a silly sing song voice and was rewarded with a huge smile from Aidan. Danny finished taping up the baby's diaper and continued to dress him in a warm outfit.

Angie surveyed Danny's work on the diaper, approved it, and then busied herself packing up the twins' diaper bag. "It's Christmas Eve, Danny. Our first with the twins. The weather forecast is calling for snow and I have a million things left to do before our families converge on us for tomorrow's big dinner. The last thing I was expecting was an impromptu road trip. Not to mention the fact that you won't even tell me what this is all about."

"If I told you where we were going then it wouldn't be surprise, now would it?" Danny picked up his son and walked over to give his wife a quick kiss on the lips. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that you are not supposed to ask so many questions this close to Christmas? It's a season of surprises."

"Living with you is a season of surprises." Angie muttered.

Danny kissed a sweet trail down her neck and moved toward her sensitive ear lobe. "And you love every minute of it." He whispered sexily into her ear.

Angie grinned, her annoyance melting away, and kissed him back. "Yes, I do."

"So, are we all ready to go?" Angie and Danny both scanned the nursery to make sure they hadn't forgotten anything. Nodding, Danny said, "Let's load up."

The happy couple loaded their sleepy infants into their car seats and settled in for Danny's surprise drive. With soft Christmas music playing in the car stereo, Angie admired all the beautiful Christmas lights around her as Danny drove them through Manhattan. "There's no place like New York at Christmas time, is there?" She murmured softly. "It's magical."

Danny agreed. "I can't wait until they are old enough for us to take them to see the tree at Rockerfeller Center. Or the windows at Macy's. And the Radio City Christmas Spectacular show."

Angie chuckled and said, "I just hope all of that goes better than our visit to Santa."

Danny joined her laughter as he remembered the disaster of taking their six month old screaming twins to sit on Santa Claus' lap. Emerson had screamed through the whole experience and Aidan had dropped a stinker in his diaper just as Angie sat him on Santa's lap. The photos were awful and they hadn't been able to use a single one in their Christmas cards.

As Danny turned onto the exit for the Lincoln Tunnel, Angie said, "We're going to Jersey? Why?" Danny gave her a look that reminded her to stop asking questions, so Angie changed the subject. "Did you talk to Uncle Frank today? I couldn't get a hold of him or Aunt Mary all day."

"I'm sure they've been just as busy as you have been lately." Danny said, scanning the signs in the tunnel to make sure he was in the right lane. "We're going to see them tomorrow."

"I know." Angie answered, turning around to check on their sleeping babies. "It's just weird, that's all. Aunt Mary has been calling me at least three times a day all week to make sure I have everything I need for Christmas dinner. And then today...nothing. Not a word."

"I wouldn't worry about it." Danny said, navigating their car onto a quiet New Jersey road.

For the next hour, Danny and Angie drove through the night. They talked about Danny's latest case, Angie's patients, Christmas decorations, and the craziness of the holiday season. Finally Danny pulled their car into the driveway of an old farmhouse, decorated festively with Christmas lights and evergreen wreaths. "What a beautiful home." Angie said, looking out the front window at the farm house. "Who lives here?"

"Usually, no one." Danny said with a grin. "Tonight, we do." Angie gave him a questioning look, but Danny turned and got out of the car. "Come on." He said, opening the back door to lift Emerson out of her car seat. Angie got out, too, and gathered Aidan up into her arms. Together they climbed the front porch steps. As they reached the top step, the front door of the farm house flew open and Mikey Sullivan greeted them warmly.

"What took you so long, Taylor?" He asked, coming out onto the porch. "We've been here for almost an hour."

"What are you doing here?" Angie asked, surprised to see her cousin coming out of the house. "I thought you had to work."

"I lied." Mike said, kissing her cheek and taking his nephew out of her arms. "Hey little man, Merry Christmas!" Turning to Emerson, Mike made a goofy face and said, "And Merry Christmas to you, princess." Emerson yawned and buried her sleepy face deeper in Danny's shoulder. Laughing, the group walked into the front parlor of the farm house.

"I still don't understand what we are doing here." Angie said, walking into the beautifully decorated parlor room. A Christmas tree was fully decorated and twinkling with lights stood in the corner and stockings were hung on the mantle of the nearby fireplace, which housed a crackling fire. The room looked like something out of a storybook.

"Good things come to those who wait, my dear." Uncle Frank said, coming into the room with a cup of eggnog and followed closely by Aunt Mary. Merry Christmases were exchanged and the babies were passed around from relative to relative while Danny and Angie shed their winter coats.

"We thought we would spend Christmas here this year." Aunt Mary said, cooing over Emerson as she sat on the sofa. "Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city for a few days."

"Like something out of a Norman Rockwell painting." Mike remarked, smirking at Danny. He was laying on the floor with Aidan lying on his belly.

"It's a beautiful surprise." Angie said, looking lovingly at her husband.

"You ain't seen nothing yet." Danny said, winking at her. "I'll be right back." He disappeared up the stairs, leaving Angie shaking her head.

"Do you all know what he's up to?" Angie asked, taking a sip of the spiced rum punch that Uncle Frank had just handed her. "Ooh, that's good." She said, taking another warm sip.

Aunt Mary smiled knowingly. "You married a good man, sweetie. Just wait to see what he has done for you."

"Ready?" Danny called down the stairs. Everyone called up that they were ready and Angie heard him coming down the steps. She also heard that he wasn't alone.

Angie wasn't prepared for the shock that came when she saw her brother, Eddie, come through the parlor entranceway wearing a Santa hat and carrying his four year old daughter, Rose. With a big grin on his face, he said, "Merry Christmas!"

"Surprise!" Little Eddie yelled, running in after his father. Now eight years old and looking exactly like his dad, Little Eddie was followed closely by his mother and Danny.

Angie almost spilled her punch in her rush to get up from her place on the sofa. Uncle Frank grinned and took her cup as she rushed past him into her brother's arms. "Eddie." She whispered as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Actually, it's Jake now. Jake Conroy." He said, grinning and holding her close.

"And his lovely wife, Melissa." Danny said, with a grin. Angie turned from her brother's embrace and stepped into Theresa's waiting arms. She could hardly believe this is happening. Angie wiped the tears from her eyes as she gave Theresa a final squeeze and then looked down at her niece and nephew.

"And who are these beautiful children?" Angie asked, her smile taking over her entire face.

"It's me, Aunt Angie. Eddie." Little Eddie said with a grin, reaching up to hug his aunt. "But everyone calls me Matt now."

Angie bent down and took her nephew in her arms. She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him...it was the same as it had been four years earlier. "You are such a big boy, now." Angie whispered. "What grade are you in?"

"Third." Eddie/Matt replied with a grin.

"Top of his class." Said his mother proudly. Theresa looked down at the little girl hiding behind her leg and urged her to come out. "It's ok, Julie. This is Aunt Angie."

Angie turned to baby Rose, now a four year old little girl, and smiled. "Hi, Julie. I know you don't remember me because the last time I saw you, you were just a baby. But I'm so glad to see you again. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Julie said, still clinging to her mother but giving Angie an adorable little smile.

"Now, where are those babies?" Eddie boomed, looking around the room. "Come on, Danny boy. Show me what you've done."

Danny picked Aidan up off of Mike's stomach and handed him to his Uncle Eddie. "This little guy is your namesake, Aidan Edward Taylor." Danny said, and then turned to where Aunt Mary was handing Emerson to Theresa. "And this beauty over here is his sister, Emerson Rose Taylor."

Eddie shook his head as he cradled Aidan in his arms. "I can't believe my baby sister has babies." He grinned. Theresa sat down on the couch with Emerson so that Little Eddie and Rose could see her better. As Eddie's family fawned over Angie's family, Angie made her way over to where Danny stood beaming proudly.

"How did you do this?" She asked, slipping into his strong arms.

"I called in a few favors." He said with a grin. "It's only for the tonight, but I thought you might like a little family get together for Christmas."

"Is it safe?" She whispered, not wanting the kids to overhear.

"We were very careful while transporting them here. And the house is surrounded by Federal Officers."

Angie leaned her face up and kissed her husband's sexy mouth. "I love you so much." She whispered against his lips before turning to watch her happy family reunion.

"I love you too, Mary Angelina. Merry Christmas."


End file.
